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BUSINESSES and residents in parts of Surrey such as Ripley, Ottershaw, Tatsfield and Frensham still cannot get fast broadband speeds, it has been revealed.

Connection speeds in these and other areas remain on a par with the old-fashioned dial-up internet service, according to a Surrey County Council (SCC) survey.

Some residents and businesses have reported speeds between 0.2 megabits per second (mbps) and 0.47mbps, meaning it can be impossible to download large files or use applications such as YouTube.

The figures are well short of the 2mbps generally regarded as a basic broadband service, and the 6.8mbps average UK speed.

Councillor Peter Martin, SCC’s deputy leader, said: “The sound of a landline phone connecting to the internet should be firmly in the past. But some residents and businesses still have to put up with poor connectivity standards and their service running at a snail’s pace.

“Our goal is to put an end to this digital divide.

“We’re doing everything possible to ensure that everyone has access to high quality broadband and make sure that those in rural areas and other parts of Surrey where service is patchy are not left behind.”

Other survey findings so far include four out of 10 respondents saying they would like to work from home but are unable to because of inadequate broadband speeds, and more than half of the residents and businesses (53%) saying their internet service at present was unreliable.

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