BT has announced 33,000 more homes and businesses in Hampshire are to get its super-fast broadband.

Rownhams , Stubbington , Tywford and Wickham are among seven communities due to be upgraded in 2013 as part of its £2.5 billion high-speed fibre broadband network scheme.

The news was welcomed by Hampshire County Council , which said it would bring a boost for businesses, internet users and the local economy.

This latest investment will take the total number of homes and businesses in Hampshire able to connect to the fibre network to nearly 600,000.

More than 400,000 already have access in upgraded areas, such as in Southampton , Winchester , Eastleigh and Portsmouth.

John Weaver, BT's South East regional director, said that research suggests fibre broadband could give a £143 million boost to a typical town's economy and create 225 new jobs and 140 new businesses within 15 years.

He added: “This latest major investment will help Hampshire to overcome the current economic challenges and take full advantage of the upturn when it comes.”

Romsey and Southampton North MP Caroline Nokes said: “I am very pleased with this news and hope that BT continues their good work into the other parts of my constituency still suffering with poor broadband coverage.”

Hampshire County Council Leader Ken Thornber said: “This technology will be of great benefit to the increasing number of households and businesses in these areas who use the internet for work, shopping, entertainment and leisure.”

BT's local network business Openreach aims to make fibre broadband available to around two-thirds of UK homes and businesses on a commercial basis by the end of 2014 - around 11m premises have it so far.

This is delivered through a mix of fibre technologies, where fibre is delivered to new street 'cabinets' or where fibre runs all the way to homes and businesses, which produce speeds many times faster than the current UK average.

It means that internet users with a fibre broadband connection can do much more online, all at the same time and the upload speeds are the fastest widely available to consumers in the country.