More than 120,000 homes and businesses in Kent have been given broadband but more needs to be done, according to business chiefs.

Kent County Council said today its Making Kent Quicker Project had given superfast internet access to areas which would otherwise have been left with no or slow broadband because of where they live.

The rollout is focused on delivering speeds greater than 24 Mbps to properties not covered by the upgrade programmes of commercial networks.

It is on track to take superfast access to 91% of homes and businesses across Kent by the end of this year.

However, Neville Gaunt, the policy leader for Federation of Small Businesses in Kent, said companies who have not been reached face losing out to opposition who already have high speed broadband.

“Customers expect a rapid response these days and a good broadband service is actually more important than having a good business card...” - Neville Gaunt, FSB Kent and Medway

Across the UK, more than four out of five premises already have access to superfast speeds, and the rollout is currently reaching an additional 40,000 homes and businesses every week.

Mr Gaunt said: “It’s a good start and clearly progress is happening however businesses need this to be done quickly and effectively so they can enter the digital world before they lose the advantage.

“The growth in mobile use for online purchases and information according to Ofcom now exceeds that of PCs.

“So if SMEs are to take advantage of this trend they need to have good broadband service wherever they are trying to do business.

“Customers expect a rapid response these days and a good broadband service is actually more important than having a good business card.”

Kent County Council is also investing £11.2 million with the government, in a successor project due to start early next year.

It should bring superfast broadband to 95% of homes and businesses across the county by the end of 2017.

Yet there are concerns many rural businesses – which make a large portion of the economy in the Garden of England – will be the last to be connected.

Nick Sandford, chairman of the Kent branch of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said: “The 5% who are left are the rural businesses because they are out of reach.

“It is critical for the success of rural business. For a strawberry grower, all their requests for produce, order confirmation and payment is done by email and online.

“If they haven’t got decent broadband they don’t get the business.

“To get to 95% by 2017 is a great achievement but there is still a high proportion without it.

“We are still pressing for government to go that last half mile which is so crucial to so many of our members.”

KCC cabinet member for education and health reform Roger Gough, who launched the broadband scheme back in 2013, said: “It’s great news that even more of Kent now has access to superfast broadband.

“This project is making a real difference to thousands of homes and businesses who can now place orders with their Internet Service Providers for faster broadband services.

“The lives of people, whether staying connected to loved ones using Facebook, children being able to do their school work or businesses being able to sell online, are being transformed by this project.”