WORK has started on installation of a network that aims to make Liverpool City Region the "most digitally-connected" area in the UK.

LCR Connect, a 212km network infrastructure, is said to be capable of delivering speeds of 1,000mbps and beyond, that will help position the city region at the head of the next digital revolution.

When complete, it will put city region businesses in prime position to lead the way in a host of growing sectors, from health and life sciences to Artificial Intelligence and advanced manufacturing.

LCR Connect is a £30m joint venture, 50%-owned by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, led by Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, in partnership with North West-based ITS Technology Group, who will lead the project, working alongside construction partner NGE, who are managing the build and roll out of the network.

Steve Rotheram, said: "When I was first elected, I made it a priority to make our region the most digitally connected anywhere in the country.

"Today we take a major step towards that, with the official launch of LCR Connect.

"Our region was at the heart of the first industrial revolution, and this project can put us at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution, creating thousands of jobs and ultimately generating £1bn for the local economy."

In its initial phase, the consortium is creating a resilient fibre 'backhaul network', connecting three transatlantic cables and major economic clusters in each of the Liverpool City Region's six local authority areas, which include Wirral.

Over the next two years, digital infrastructure is being installed underneath carriageways, footpaths and cycle ways across the city region, using innovative deployment techniques to minimise the impact on road and public transport users wherever possible.

Daren Baythorpe, chief executive of ITS Technology Group, said: "This programme will be transformational and we are excited to be playing a central role in its delivery, supporting growth in the digital economy of the region, as well as supporting national targets for full fibre access by 2025."

Antoine Metzger, chairman of NGE, said: "Using labour and resources from within the Liverpool City Region, this project is also a fantastic opportunity to deploy our infrastructure development and finance expertise in cities across the UK such as Liverpool."