Cornwall's broadband connections have seen it chosen as a recruitment hot spot for an international business which is seeking to recruit 1,000 people to work from home.

London-based Arise Virtual Solutions has developed a business model based around people working from home to provide remote business services.

It describes the arrangement as "homeshoring", rather than "offshoring" which sees such contracts awarded to companies working in lower wage economies.

Dickon Moon, who was born in Redruth and went to school in Penzance, is director of strategic sourcing at Arise.

He said Cornwall was being targeted because of its strong IT connectivity, relatively low rates of employment and low costs of living.

"We don't currently have anyone in the South West west of a line between Bristol and Dorset. Because Cornwall has such great broadband connections, the indications are that the vast majority of people will be coming from the county," he said.

The jobs have flexible hours and mainly involve answering phone calls for businesses such as Kays and Littlewoods who sub-contract this service to Arise.

Skills required are a good phone manner and customer service skills – although computer literacy and the ability to speak a foreign language would also help, said Mr Moon.

The business already has a network of 20,000 home workers in America, Canada, Ireland and the rest of the UK and it is seeking to increase its presence in the UK in 2011.

The UK recruitment page of its website, at www.arise.com, even has a link with the flag of St Piran on it aimed specifically at potential Cornish workers.

Mr Moon added: "I am delighted to be able to link the development of the superfast broadband rollout by BT with my own passion for my home county. Since our agents specify the times they would like to work two weeks in advance in blocks of only 30 minutes minimum, our business model gels neatly around the most fractured of schedules."

North Cornwall MP Dan Rogerson said: "The exciting opportunities being opened up by superfast broadband in Cornwall must be harnessed to bring work to local people."

Sarah Newton, MP for Truro and Falmouth, said: "The great benefit of Arise's model is that with a minimum 20 hours per week commitment, people who are based at home with caring responsibilities for children, a disabled person or an older person can also work. I also often meet people with disabilities that really want to work but mobility issues make it difficult for them to travel to work."