First Kent communities to benefit from fibre broadband

The first area of Kent to benefit from the government's Broadband Delivery UK scheme will be connected this week.

Densole, which is a village found near Folkestone, will receive the superfast service as part of a county-wide scheme that has been the subject of £40 million of funding.

The investment has come from a trio of sources, including Kent County Council, the coalition government and service provider BT.

Once engineers complete Kent's installation, which is scheduled to be finished in 2015, homes and businesses will have access to speeds of 24Mbps and above.

Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development Mark Dance hailed the introduction of the service in Densole, claiming the benefits would be felt by residents, business owners and students.

He told Kent News: "In today’s rapidly moving world, fast and sophisticated communications are absolutely vital. They are an essential part of future success.”

Mr Dance went on to say that the switch-on will also mark an important day for elderly residents in the area, who would now have better access to essential public services.