Norfolk villages look to be out of the race for an upgrade to super-fast broadband in a nationwide competition.

BT's Race to Infinity is offering to improve the five exchanges which show the greatest desire to have better internet connections.

While Norfolk may have missed out, county MPs and campaigners said, although the competition would have offered a welcome boost to one or two places, it was the greater fight for fast broadband in rural areas that really mattered.

Politicians are set to meet BT next year to plead the case for Norfolk while the area's economic development partnership and county council are also lobbying the company.

The Race to Infinity launch on October 1 and pledged to upgrade the five exchanges which registered the most online votes as a percentage of the overall community.

Each had to receive a minimum of 1,000 votes and BT also promised to engage with any community where at least 75pc of homes and businesses had taken part.

As the closing date on December 31 looms, Norfolk is lagging far behind leaders Blewbury, in Oxfordshire, Caxton, in Camridgeshire, and Baschurch, in Shropshire, which have each recorded votes from more than 90pc of their communities.

This county's best performing exchange is Narborough, near Swaffham, in 22nd place, but it has only 528 votes which is 28.27pc of the population.

Titteshall, Hethersett, Burnwell and Melton Constable are also in Norfolk's top five, but barely register in the national race.

Norman Lamb, MP for north Norfolk, said the county's poor showing in the competition in no way reflected a lack of want or need.

The politician, who is urging the county council to apply for a share of government funding for better broadband, said: 'I think, if it's there to be competed for, let's go for it and let's make an effort to win, but there is an inherent flaw in the argument that if you can't get the critical mass you cannot get anywhere.

'Any vote anywhere in rural Norfolk demonstrates just as much desire as anywhere else where the numbers may be greater.'

South-West Norfolk MP Liz Truss has been a prominent campaigner in the fight for faster broadband. She said a decent internet connection was a basic requirement for any community and should not be seen as a 'prize' for the lucky few.

'It needs to be available everywhere. If we improve broadband it will attract new businesses in the area. It's not just about existing businesses and residents.'

Economic development partnership Shaping Norfolk's Future has worked with MPs and the county council to lobby government and broadband companies for improvements.

Projects officer Frances Downey said they were already in talks with BT and added: 'I wouldn't be too disappointed. There's a lot of action going on at the moment.'

But BT is encouraging Norfolk people not to give up and try to boost their numbers in the last few days of the competition.

Regional director Peter McCarthy-Ward said: 'The data collected by BT will be used in planning where the roll-out goes next.'

To take part visit www.bt.com/racetoinfinity.