A project to make Surrey the best connected county in the country is three-quarters of the way to being completed.

Surrey County Council this week announced that more than 68,000 businesses and homes that would otherwise have missed out on the opportunity of getting faster broadband are now connected to the high-speed technology. A further 16,000 properties are due to be covered by the end of the year.

The Superfast Surrey project steps in to cover areas not included by commercial broadband providers with the aim of creating a county-wide network to help firms do business online and ensure nearly every community enjoys the benefits of the digital world.

Peter Martin, Surrey County Council’s deputy leader, said: “This is fantastic news and shows we are well on the way to achieving our goal of making Surrey the best connected county in the country by the end of this year.”

Coun Martin said: “The benefits are considerable both economically and socially with Surrey’s economy being boosted by an estimated £30 million annually, and homes getting fast, reliable internet access.

“Reaching the latest milestone means that tens of thousands more Surrey businesses and residents can enjoy the benefits in a way they would not have been able to otherwise, and now we’ll press ahead with the rest of the project to reach areas not covered commercially.”