Seven new locations to be upgraded – Scottish Chambers welcome investment
A FURTHER 86,700 homes and businesses in Scotland now have access to faster broadband, BT announced today.
Another 21 communities across the country – from Nairn in the Highlands to Stranraer in Dumfries and Galloway – are the latest to benefit from the roll-out of BT’s next generation broadband service delivered over copper lines. A full list of the locations where the upgrades have been completed is below.
The BT investment makes available download speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) – more than double the speed previously available from BT.
BT also today announced another seven exchanges will be added to the faster broadband roll-out programme and upgraded later this year, covering another 30,400 homes and businesses. They are Eyemouth in Scottish Borders, Gorebridge in Midlothian, Muirhead in Angus, Rose Street exchange area in Edinburgh, Kilmacolm in Inverclyde, Largs in North Ayrshire and Thornhill in Dumfries & Galloway.
The technology is already available in more than 170 Scottish communities.
By next Spring, around 73 per cent of Scottish homes and businesses will be served by an exchange which has been upgraded to deliver these higher speeds. The new service is available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies providing broadband*.
Brendan Dick, director of BT Scotland, said: “The rapid roll-out of faster broadband continues to reach more communities across Scotland. This major investment is playing a vital role in Scotland’s future prosperity.
“The technology is changing for the better the way we live and work, helping businesses work more efficiently and flexibly and find new markets. And households are better able to make use of the huge range of on-line educational and entertainment opportunities available.
“But there is still much work to be done and we want to work with the public sector to find solutions for even the most challenging locations.”
Liz Cameron, chief executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “Scottish Chambers of Commerce welcome the ongoing work by BT to constantly improve the speed and reach of Scotland’s broadband infrastructure.
“The news that a large number of exchanges up and down the country are going live with a new, upgraded standard of service is great news for Scottish business in terms of their ability to connect with markets and customers.”
This investment in the copper network is in addition to BT’s £2.5 billion roll-out of fibre-based broadband, which will bring even faster speeds to around two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014.
ENDS
The exchange areas which have now been upgraded for faster broadband are below:
| BUCKSBURN | Aberdeen City |
| CULTER | Aberdeen City |
| BANCHORY | Aberdeenshire |
| FRASERBURGH | Aberdeenshire |
| OBAN | Argyll & Bute |
| STRANRAER | Dumfries & Galloway |
| KIRKCUDBRIGHT | Dumfries & Galloway |
| HADDINGTON | East Lothian |
| BUSBY | East Renfrewshire |
| NEWPORT/WORMIT | Fife |
| NAIRN | Highland |
| WEMYSS BAY | Inverclyde |
| BUCKIE | Moray |
| STEPPS | North Lanarkshire |
| BLAIRGOWRIE | Perthshire |
| CRIEFF | Perthshire |
| KINROSS | Perthshire |
| SELKIRK | Scottish Borders |
| MAYBOLE | South Ayrshire |
| ALLOWAY | North Ayrshire |
| BRIDGE OF ALLAN | Stirlingshire |
Notes to Editors
*Once an exchange area has been upgraded for next generation broadband, some service providers automatically upgrade their customers to the enhanced broadband service. People should contact their chosen service provider for more information about the products and services they offer. All forward looking plans are subject to change. However, the expectations reflected in this forward-looking plan are reasonable.
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