Next-generation fibre-optic broadband could have a major impact on the world we live in, it has been claimed.

Stuart McIntosh, a competition partner at communications regulator Ofcom, has stated that the emergence of super-fast internet is "potentially a world changing issue".

He explained that the organisation is fully committed to supporting the introduction of such services by removing barriers to investment in the technology, due to the potential benefits it could offer.

"[It] is going to have a dramatic effect on both our personal lives and our economic lives," he added.

"There is the prospect of a much richer array of services doing things in very different ways than the way we do them today."

Eclipse Internet recently confirmed plans to take part in trials of fibre-optic broadband technology organised by BT in the UK.

It is also upgrading its network for use with the rival broadband provider's 21CN infrastructure.