Super-fast broadband could lead to job opportunities for IT contractors, as businesses will take advantage of the opportunities it provides, according to Eclipse Internet.

Earlier this week, prime minister Gordon Brown pledged that Labour would make high-speed broadband accessible from every UK home, calling it "the electricity of the digital age".

It is the government's responsibility to ensure high-speed access was "for all, not just for some", rather than allowing private companies to provide it based on profitability, the prime minister added.

Commenting on his statement, Paul Richens, proposition manager at Eclipse Internet, said that this would help many businesses expand and try new things.

"Faster broadband will allow companies to access a whole new range of online services and applications that the average UK business simply doesn't have the bandwidth for yet," Mr Richens said.

According to the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, Broadband Delivery UK will spend £1 billion on ensuring 90 per cent of UK homes have access to high-speed broadband by 2017.