Thousands of people living and working in Thistleton and Uppingham are next in line for faster and more reliable broadband.

They'll join more than 4,500 other homes and businesses across Rutland who already have access to Openreach broadband.

Openreach say the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive, with more than half of eligible residents and businesses already upgrading.

Work to reach most of the Oakham exchange area is due to get underway next year.

Kasam Hussain, regional director for the Midlands, said: "This huge infrastructure success story is making such a difference, especially here in Rutland. No company is building faster or further in Europe, that we're aware of. And we won't be stopping either, with plans to reach more cities, market towns, and our most rural communities.

"Openreach's fibre checker has the latest information about our work in Rutland. It's also worth noting that upgrades aren't automatic. Once full fibre is available where you live, you'll need to place an order to get connected and we'll do the rest!

"Our network offers the widest choice of providers such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone, and Zen – which means people have lots of choice and can get a great deal."