BUSINESSES and computer users in East Lancashire are being urged to sign up for broadband internet to access the latest wave of Internet investment.

British Telecom has earmarked 26 exchanges in Lancashire, including six in the Ribble Valley, to change over to the faster Internet connection -- broadband.

But people keen on benefiting from the technology must register their interest before the move will be given the go-ahead.

Broadband operates up to 40 times the speed of a standard modem Internet connection and can enable users to use the telephone at the same time as being 'logged-on'.

"Trigger levels" have been set for seven telephone exchanges in East Lancashire - Belmont, Stonyhurst, Chipping, Gisburn, Ribchester, Chatburn, Turton and Mellor.

These levels, ranging from 150 to 400, represent the number of consumers who need to show an interest in upgrading their telephone lines before British Telecom will justify upgrading the system.

The telephone exchange in Wilpshire was recently converted to broadband after a successful campaign by 11-year-old Peter Fisher.

British Telecom hopes to upgrade all the exchanges in Lancashire by 2005.

Brian Crouch, BT's North West regional director, said: "Just about everybody in Lancashire can be connected to a Broadband-enabled BT exchange.

"If they can demonstrate the demand is there, we will invest."