Dave Thompson MSP

Dave Thompson MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch has welcomed the next phase of the Scottish Government’s Digital Superfast Broadband Programme and expressed delight that the new initiative will mean new exchange areas in the Highlands, including in Beauly and Corpach.

The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband initiative consists of two projects, one of which is dedicated to the Highlands and Islands. The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme aims to provide fibre broadband infrastructure to areas not covered by commercial deployment and combined with commercial roll-out plans, expects that 95% of premises in Scotland will have access to fibre broadband by the end of 2017/18.

Commenting on this Mr Thompson said: “It is tremendous news that rural Scotland is set to benefit from this high speed technology and that certain areas in the Highlands will be experiencing this for this the first time. This will mean locals, tourists and businesses alike will soon reap the benefits of high quality digital connectivity”.

Dave went on: “Ensuring that our digital infrastructure is effective will mean communities and businesses will benefit economically and the improved service will also provide enjoyment for those who access the internet for recreational purposes”.

He finished with: “I hope this progress continues so that one day we may be able to lay claim to being part of a country that facilitates superfast broadband no matter where you are, whether that be in a tower block or on a remote Island, with Scotland wide coverage being the ultimate aim”.

Notes:

The public sector investment in the Highlands and Islands project is £126.4m. It is being delivered through the Scottish Government broadband fund, which incorporates funding from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), and also includes up to £12m from HIE’s own budget. BT is contributing £19.4 million in addition to its commercial investment in the region.

The Highlands and Islands project is led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and includes the following local authority areas: Highland, Moray, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), parts of Argyll and Bute and part of North Ayrshire (Islands).

Information on the Digital Scotland Programme can be found here:

http://www.digitalscotland.org/