Rural Scotland gets superfast broadband
Businesses in rural areas of Scotland are getting access to superfast broadband speeds for the first time as the rollout of new technology gathers pace.
Companies in communities such as Aberdeenshire, Angus, Ayrshire and Argyll and Bute, as well as the Highlands and Shetland, are to get access during the summer.
The £410 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme is reaching more rural parts of the country than ever before.
Programme director Sara Budge stated that as far afield as Voe in the Shetland Islands and Portpatrick in the south of Scotland are set to be connected to fibre broadband for the first time.
For businesses, this means they will be able to take advantage of the many benefits of high-speed broadband, giving them access to internet speeds as fast as companies based in major cities.
"The project is developing a high-speed fibre network which is changing the face of broadband," Ms Budge said.
"By reaching out to those who would not have been covered through the commercial market - in towns and into some of our most rural areas - we are ensuring that the connections which are made will bring many benefits to the Scottish people at home and in business."
In order for the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme to be a success, some 3,400 km of fibre cable has been laid to bring faster and more reliable business broadband connections to rural communities across the nation.
It is thought that close to 150,000 properties are going to get access to fibre broadband for the first time as a result of the latest stage of the rollout.
The announcement comes shortly after Julia Campbell, local development officer for the Coigach Community Development Company, told Cable.co.uk that it seemed unlikely the Scottish Highlands would be receiving high-speed broadband any time soon.
Businesses looking to move services into the cloud should evaluate the performance of their existing network and consider setting up a leased line or MPLS network.
(Image: Kings Sutton)
