BROADBAND availability is taking off in Wiltshire as BT has passed its initial target of one million UK broadband connections by the summer.

To mark the achievement, BT is cutting every trigger level in the UK by 50 registrations, a reduction of up to 25 per cent depending on the exchange.

As a result, three Wiltshire exchanges covering nearly 16,000 homes and businesses have been put straight into BT's broadband upgrade programme.

They are Stratton St Margaret, near Swindon, Malmesbury and Wootton Bassett.

The trigger level is the number of people who need to register their demand for broadband before BT will upgrade an exchange with ADSL technology.

The news that triggers will be reduced means that 69 exchanges across the UK will immediately hit their triggers and work will begin to upgrade them with broadband technology.

Lizzie Beesley, BT regional director for the South West, said: "I am delighted to announce that BT has hit its target of one million broadband connections and I would like to thank the many service providers and local campaign groups who have helped us get there.

"We are marking this milestone by reducing trigger levels across the country and this means that 12 more exchanges in the South West will receive broadband as a result.

"This is also great news for many other people across the region since reducing trigger levels across the board means that many more exchanges are that much closer to getting broadband.

"This will be welcome news for the many campaigners who have put in such terrific work and I would encourage other communities to follow their example and to work with us to bring broadband to their areas."

BT's registration scheme was introduced in July 2002 to identify where true demand for broadband exists.

The triggers reflect only a proportion of the number of end users required by BT to make a return on their investment and so any reduction in their level reflects an increased commercial risk on BT's part.

Experience over the last few months has shown that take up of broadband in areas enabled through the scheme has been higher than anticipated and these findings lie behind the decision to reduce triggers.

The scheme is the first of its kind in the world and has attracted interest from many overseas telecom companies.

More than 440,000 people have registered their interest in receiving broadband through the scheme.

And more than 600 local campaign groups receive support from BT in their efforts to raise awareness of the scheme and bring ADSL technology to their area.

The past year has seen BT put broadband at the heart of its strategy with several significant developments, including price cuts, the introduction of BT Broadband, a high speed direct Internet product and a major television campaign.