People in Farnham and rural parts of Waverley borough are set for a broadband boost.

Project Gigabit is underway with work starting to bring Full Fibre broadband to several areas of Surrey including Farnham, Elstead, Godalming, Puttenham and Runfold.

The work carried out by Openreach will give residents and firms in ‘hard-to-reach’ areas some of the most fastest and reliable broadband provision anywhere in Europe.

The upgrades are part of a government-funded project to enable communities to access fast, reliable broadband, targeting homes and businesses that – because of their location - might otherwise miss out.

A spokesperson said the “once-in-a-generation upgrade” will let properties connect multiple devices at gigabit-capable speeds and help local businesses trade online and compete for decades to come.

UK Telecoms Minister, Ian Murray, said: “Too many people in rural areas have had to put up with patchy, unreliable broadband for too long – and we’re changing that.

“Through our government-funded Project Gigabit programme, we’re bringing faster, more reliable connections to homes and businesses that might otherwise miss out.

“That means less buffering, smoother video calls, children able to do their online homework without battling for bandwidth, and rural businesses better placed to grow, create jobs and reach customers.”

Because of the scale of the project some disturbance will be expected, with residents being warned, as and when.

Kieran Wines, Openreach Partnership Director for London and the South East, said: “This is a major infrastructure upgrade, so there will be more engineering teams, equipment and vans around town.

“Wherever possible, we’ll use our existing network of ducts and poles to avoid roadworks, new street furniture and disturbance.

“But there may be places where we need to install new poles, underground ducts and fibre cables because it’s the only way to make sure households get included in the upgrade.”