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Jeremy Hunt hails Surrey super-fast broadband plans as bold
Surrey's ambitious broadband rollout plans have been praised by Jeremy Hunt.
Mr Hunt, who is also the MP for South West Surrey, was part of the county's campaign for improved broadband coverage and has vowed to deliver next-generation access to 90 per cent of the UK's homes and businesses by 2015.
Under the government's broadband plans, the remaining ten per cent of properties will be connected to minimum speeds of 2Mbps.
However, Surrey County Council (SCC) has stated its commitment to better the Culture Secretary's proposals by achieving the targets two years faster than the deadline.
Residents across Surrey are currently being urged to support the initiative by registering their interest in receiving super-fast broadband connectivity, allowing the local authority to assess current levels of demand for the technology.
Reliable high-speed broadband is not available at present in rural parts of the county, such as the borough of Waverley.
In these areas, residents have been campaigning for some time to raise awareness of the problem, with the village of Ewhurst proving to be one of the most vocal.
According to Waverley Borough Council, it is now important for all local people and businesses to "make their voices heard" by telling SCC what type of internet service they want to receive, as well as the performance of the connection they are currently using.
Praising Surrey's broadband plans, Mr Hunt said: "Reliable broadband coverage has the potential to revitalise our economy and make life easier for many people, particularly in rural areas like Surrey where reliable broadband allows people to work from home, have online shopping delivered and keep in touch.
"SCC has one of the most ambitious plans in the country and I take my hat off to them for being bold."
The county's super-fast broadband project was officially launched at an event in Haslemere last month, attended by Mr Hunt and local councillors.