Bournemouth will become the first town in the UK to get 100Mbps broadband under a new scheme which uses the local sewers to connect customers with their exchange.

Sewers will be used to run fibre optic cable around 80 per cent of the town, supplying high-speed broadband and enabling the local council to run traffic monitoring and CCTV services via IP.

Bournemouth councillor Nick King said: "Bournemouth is incredibly privileged to have been chosen. This decision is a giant leap forward and gives us a real competitive advantage.

"I am sure it will bring huge rewards to all homes and businesses that sign up to the services that this network will enable."

Network builder H2O Networks will put in above-ground links where sewage pipes are not suitable using a revolutionary system that cuts a 20mm slot in roads and pavements to minimise disruption.

"This is just the start of bringing next generation connectivity to the UK," said Elfed Thomas, chief executive at H2O Networks.

"We will be announcing more towns and cities over the coming months, and plan to have a nationwide network deployed over the next few years."

Thomas claimed that many broadband customers in the UK have insufficient connectivity bandwidths because they are attached to networks built in the 20th century that cannot cope with demand.

"Our solution brings us right into the 21st century and beyond with speeds in excess of 100Mbps," he said.

The laying down of fibre will begin in the next six months and the project will cost £30m.