Around 50,000 homes and businesses in Surrey are set to benefit from broadband upgrades.

Openreach, which operates the UK's digital network, announced on Tuesday that nine towns and villages across the county would be able to access "ultrafast" full fibre broadband as part of a "commercial investment".

They are Elstead, Farnham, Tadworth, Ashtead, Camberley, Ottershaw, Puttenham, Upper Warlingham and Worplesdon, which do not currently have access to fibre broadband.

Access is expected by December 2026 "if not sooner", the firm said. For the full report see https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp66ldjygk1o

Previously when the ARA made enquires why Ashtead was the "poor relation" when it came to Ultrafast Broadband the answer was "As you are aware, we are currently in the process of installing FTTP all over the UK, with an aim to provide 25 million homes with full fibre by 2026. Having checked our immediate plans for Ashtead, sadly, we cannot confirm an immediate timescale as to when the technology will reach your address. We are making excellent progress with our roll outs and whilst we wish we could do everywhere at once, unfortunately, it just isn’t possible."

Perhaps the ARA's request for this decision to be revisited changed minds in the upper echelons of Open Reach. Who knows, but many will be pleased with this decision.