SUPER-FAST internet access is coming to Halesowen and Sandwell after Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Sajid Javid MP launched the £12 million Black Country Broadband Project.

The Government minister visited Rowley Regis to announce the £12 million investment package for the Black Country which will see 98 per cent of homes and businesses will have high-speed broadband by 2017.

The project is a partnership between the Government, the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership and BT and aims to help local businesses become more competitive.

The move will also be a relief to customers who suffer continual "buffering" whilst watching films and television programmes online.

Mr Javid said: "This marks the beginning of an incredible transformation of broadband in the Black Country.

"The Government fully appreciates that access to fast and reliable broadband is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity, which is precisely why we are funding projects like this one all over the UK.

“As a result of this £12m investment, 98 per cent of the Black Country will be able to access superfast speeds by 2017 and this will provide a terrific boost to the local economy."

Halesowen and Rowley Regis MP James Morris added: “High-speed broadband is becoming absolutely vital for business, for communication and for people’s leisure activities and this project will make sure that the Black Country does not get left behind by new technologies.

“Investing in high-speed broadband is a key part of the long-term plan to boost the Black Country’s local economy and to get more people back into work in Halesowen and Rowley Regis.”

Businesses will have access to high-speed connectivity, with fibre broadband enabling faster online activities so firms can do far more in less time, speed up data transfers, collaborate with colleagues and staff can work as effectively from home as they would in the office.

The £12m cash boost is made up from £2.9 million from the Government’s Broadband Delivery (BDUK) programme, £6.4 million from BT and £2.9 million from the Black Country LEP’s Growing Places Fund.

Engineers from Openreach, BT’s local network business, will lay new fibre optic cables, upgrade more than 400 road-side cabinets and the first services will be available towards the end of 2015.