A PROGRAMME to roll out superfast fibre broadband across the Scotland reached a milestone of providing access to 900,000 homes and businesses yesterday.
Places such as Cortachy in Angus, Dunscore in Dumfries and Galloway and the rural village of Forgue in Aberdeenshire are among those able to receive fibre broadband for the first time.
Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Secretary Michael Matheson visited a business in rural Perthshire, Scarletts Honey, which has benefited from the programme.
He said: “Fast and reliable internet is absolutely vital to communities across Scotland.
“Our Reaching 100% programme, backed by an initial £600 million investment, plans to deliver superfast broadband access to every home and business in Scotland by the end of 2021, the only part of the UK to do so.”
Through the project, around 4500 new fibre street cabinets are now live and more than 11,800km of cable has been laid by Openreach engineers, bosses said. Robert Thorburn, fibre partnership director for Openreach in Scotland, said: “People can now connect to the most reliable and fastest residential broadband available as we’re using more Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) to help these harder-to-reach homes join the digital revolution.”
Led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Government, funding partners on the programme include the UK Government, BT Group, local authorities and the European Regional Development Fund.
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