Residents in and around Birmingham and the West Midlands are waiting to see which location in their region will be chosen to be the proving ground for 100Mbps superfast broadband.

High speed internet connectivity is being promoted as an essential asset in the area and one which will encourage regeneration and bring economic growth and stability along with it.

Campaigners are hoping that three different areas will be chosen in the 100Mbps trials, although in all likelihood it will be urban Birmingham that feels the benefits before more isolated locations.

A group of local businesses is campaigning for faster broadband in the region, hoping to aid the progress of the roll-out by costing the installation and upkeep itself in order to attract investment from big telecoms firms.

Hopeful locals will have to wait until early June to find out how the investigations and preliminary tests are progressing.

Campaigners believe that the growth of superfast broadband will allow more people to work from home, which will encourage small businesses and entrepreneurs to stay locally and boost the economy.

Broadband activist and businessman Glyn Pickford told the Birmingham Post that consumers and businesses would benefit from faster broadband in the West Midlands. Mr Pickford also stressed that big business would benefit from 100Mbps broadband and that regeneration is reliant upon its availability.

It is believed that members of the public will need to be educated as to the benefits of superfast broadband and new BT broadband options using fibre technology, as many are aware that it is coming but unsure as to how it will impact upon their daily lives.

Simple Broadband’s Simon Gerrard added “It is great to see regions around the UK campaigning for faster broadband and seeing their wishes come true. A stream of new initiatives and ever more diverse BT broadband options prove that 100Mbps broadband is a nationwide issue.”

The next general election is due to take place in 2010, with rumours suggesting that it may occur at some point in May. As a result, politicians from all parties are beginning to make promises in an attempt to win votes and the Conservatives have recently announced that they plan to implement fibre optic broadband across the UK by 2017, with download speeds of 100Mbps accessible to a majority of consumers.

George Osborne, who is currently the shadow chancellor, said that his party would use the BBC licence fee to fund the continued growth of fibre optic broadband if it was voted into power. Mr Osborne also said that his party would push for offering fibre optic broadband in remote areas, relying on both private and public funding to ensure that the targets were met.

Mr Osborne compared the roll out of fibre optic broadband to the building of the railways when speaking in an interview on the Andrew Marr show. He said that hundreds of thousands of jobs would be created by better connectivity options, in the same way that the economy grew as a result of rail transport in the 19th century.

A spokesperson for Labour said that the Conservatives were not really proposing anything new with their announcements, but rather affirming their commitment to the government’s existing plans to make 2017 the deadline for universal high speed broadband connectivity. The Lib Dems also raised questions, but were concerned as to how the project would be funded.

Simple Broadband’s Communications Manager, Simon Gerrard, added that “whatever your political allegiances, it is definitely a positive step forward, showing that all of the parties are committed to extending high speed broadband across the UK, expanding upon current BT broadband options.”