Bournemouth is to be the first town in Britain to have fibre optic broadband delivered through cable laid in its sewers.

The cost of the scheme, an estimated £30 million, will be paid for by H20 networks which plans to deliver the ultra-wide bandwidth service to Bournemouth businesses and more than 80,000 houses.

Bournemouth council claims the move gives them a competitive edge, as H20 claims it hopes to be able to provide a bandwidth with speeds in excess of 100Mbps.

Councillor Nick King said: "Bournemouth is incredibly privileged to have been chosen as the UK's first Fibrecity."

H20 has previously provided the system to Aberdeen University, again using sewers to lay the cable, enabling the campus to receive broadband.

In related news, Ofcom announced its intention to look at the possibility of rolling out fibre optic broadband on a national level, it is estimated that it would cost in excess of £7 billion.