Towns and villages in South Gloucestershire risk being left behind in the roll-out of new super-fast broadband services, Northavon MP Steve Webb has warned.

He said people in significant pockets of the district were currently unable to get broadband and despite the Government announcing a basic service to all areas of the country, that would not happen until 2012.

Mr Webb, pictured, said about two-thirds of Britain could expect to be connected to super-fast optical fibre broadband under proposals just published in the Digital Britain report

The rest would eventually be covered under a scheme where companies can bid for funds to connect up less profitable areas.

But he said it was not yet clear how long that process would take, putting householders with line speeds at a fraction of those enjoyed by others at a disadvantage.

Mr Webb said: "Over coming years, access to high-speed broadband is going to become essential to people who want to work from home, study at home or enjoy the latest in entertainment.

"Businesses such as BT and Virgin will have a commercial incentive to connect up major towns and cities with the latest technology but up to a third of Britain, including many of the smaller towns and villages of South Gloucestershire, might not be considered profitable enough.

"Those areas will have to fight with other excluded areas for an early share of the Government's new funding to connect up the 'final third' of Britain.

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The MP challenged Secretary of State Ben Bradshaw in the House of Commons about the plans, asking whether a basic service by 2012 would be adequate given the speed at which technology was advancing.

Mr Bradshaw told him it was considered to be the best value-for-money solution.

But Mr Webb has pledged to step up his campaigning to ensure that South Gloucestershire is not left behind.