Advanced Television

Highspeed broadband for Highlands and Islands

March 26, 2013

Scottish communities across the Highlands and Islands are set to get access to high speed fibre broadband for the first time as part of £145.8 million (€180m) initiative.

The project is being led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and will be delivered by BT. It is being funded by £126.4 million of public money and £19.4 million from BT.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Scotland’s history, commenting: “It will connect communities across some of the most challenging landscapes in Europe and provides a platform for future economic development and regeneration. Next generation broadband enables businesses to compete on the international stage. It has the potential to transform the way in which we educate our children, provide health and social care and deliver our public services.”

BT said it would be the biggest subsea engineering project it had undertaken in the UK, and the first ever with so many seabed crossings.

Categories: Articles, Broadband