The Digital Scotland project, which is working with BT to roll-out “fibre broadband” (FTTC/P) services to 85% of premises in Scotland by the end of 2015/16 and 95% by the end of 2017/18, has today announced the next batch of 200 communities (145,000 premises) that will benefit from that deployment.
So far the project, which is supported by a mix of both public and private funding (see below), has laid over 3400km of new fibre optic cable and installed more than 900 street cabinets. As a result of this some 275,000 additional homes and businesses have now gained access to the new network, which typically covers areas that would have otherwise been left neglected.
Digital Scotland’s Current Funding
HIE – The Highlands and Islands (£145.8m):
• £126.4m from public bodies (Scottish Government, Department for Culture, Media and Sport [BDUK], Highland and Islands Enterprise and all seven local authorities that form part of the project area)
• £19.4m from BT.RES – The Rest of Scotland (£264m):
• £157 million from public sources (Scottish Government, ERDF, Department for Culture, Media and Sport [BDUK], and all 27 local authorities that form part of the Rest of Scotland Project area)
• £106.7 from BT.
In addition, service uptake in areas that have been upgraded by the Digital Scotland project stood at 8.7% for the “Rest of Scotland” area and 10.3% for the “Highlands and Islands” region at the end of 2014. In total, including the above effort and existing (separate) commercial coverage, BT’s FTTC (up to 80Mbps capable) dominated broadband network can now reach more than 1.5 million homes and businesses.
Sara Budge, Digital Scotland’s Programme Director, said:
“It is great to be celebrating the first year of deployment of the £410 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme, while announcing that more exchanges will be included, with areas such as Portpatrick in the south of Scotland and as far north as Voe in the Shetland Islands being able to connect to fibre broadband for the first time.
The project is developing a high-speed fibre network which is changing the face of broadband. 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.”
The latest batch of upgrades, which among other things will see BTOpenreach expand the coverage of “fibre broadband” around 200 communities in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Ayrshire, Argyll, Bute, the Highlands and Shetland, appears to cover work that will predominantly take place during the last half of 2015 (summer onwards).
A lot of this includes bringing the service to new communities, although some will also involve infill work (i.e. expanding coverage in areas that have already been partly upgraded). The Broadband Delivery UK programme has also made an extra £20.99m available to help Scotland meet the 2017/18 target, which will need to be matched by local authorities and BT etc. The Scottish Government is currently still debating what approach to take with this funding.
We also recommend checking out the latest Audit Scotland report, which revealed a lot about the actual expectations for related broadband speeds in Scotland (here).
List of the Latest Upgrades – Unordered (H2 – 2015)
Exchange | Local Authority | Infill |
Braemar | Aberdeenshire | |
Collieston | Aberdeenshire | |
Cornhill | Aberdeenshire | |
Fettercairn | Aberdeenshire | |
Hillside* | Aberdeenshire | |
Inverbervie | Aberdeenshire | |
Kincardine O’Neil | Aberdeenshire | |
Laurencekirk | Aberdeenshire | |
Longside | Aberdeenshire | |
Lumphanan | Aberdeenshire | |
Maud | Aberdeenshire | |
Memsie | Aberdeenshire | |
Monymusk | Aberdeenshire | |
New Aberdour | Aberdeenshire | |
New Deer | Aberdeenshire | |
New Pitsligo | Aberdeenshire | |
Pitcaple | Aberdeenshire | |
Rosehearty | Aberdeenshire | |
St.Cyrus | Aberdeenshire | |
Strichen | Aberdeenshire | |
Montrose* | Aberdeenshire | Yes |
Carmyllie | Angus | |
Carnoustie | Angus | Yes |
Dundee Fairmuir | Angus | Yes |
Friockheim | Angus | |
Gowanbank | Angus | |
Hillside* | Angus | |
Inverkeilor | Angus | |
Kellas | Angus | |
Montrose* | Angus | Yes |
Muirhead* | Angus | |
Newtyle | Angus | |
Campbeltown | Argyll and Bute | Yes |
Clynder | Argyll and Bute | |
Dunoon | Argyll and Bute | Yes |
Garelochead | Argyll and Bute | |
Helensburgh | Argyll and Bute | Yes |
Kilcreggan | Argyll and Bute | |
Rhu | Argyll and Bute | |
Rothesay | Argyll and Bute | Yes |
Invergarry | Highland | |
Kincraig | Highland | |
Kingussie | Highland | |
Kinlochleven | Highland | |
Lairg | Highland | |
Lybster | Highland | |
Nethybridge | Highland | |
Rogart | Highland | |
Strontian | Highland | |
Thrumster | Highland | |
Tomatin | Highland | |
Watten | Highland | |
Gourock | Inverclyde | Yes |
Greenock | Inverclyde | Yes |
Port Glasgow Harelaw | Inverclyde | |
Port Glasgow Newark | Inverclyde | |
Wemyss Bay | Inverclyde | |
Brodie | Moray | Yes |
Beith | North Ayrshire | Yes |
Dalry | North Ayrshire | Yes |
Irvine | North Ayrshire | Yes |
Kilbirnie | North Ayrshire | Yes |
Largs | North Ayrshire | |
Stanecastle | North Ayrshire | Yes |
Airdrie | North Lanarkshire | Yes |
Bellshill | North Lanarkshire | Yes |
Caldercruix | North Lanarkshire | |
Cambusnethan | North Lanarkshire | Yes |
Cleland | North Lanarkshire | |
Coatbridge* | North Lanarkshire | Yes |
Fauldhouse* | North Lanarkshire | |
Glenboig | North Lanarkshire | Yes |
Harthill* | North Lanarkshire | |
Holytown | North Lanarkshire | Yes |
Motherwell | North Lanarkshire | Yes |
Salsburgh | North Lanarkshire | |
Shotts | North Lanarkshire | |
Wishaw* | North Lanarkshire | Yes |
Birsay | Orkney Islands | |
Orphir | Orkney Islands | |
Sandwick; Orkney | Orkney Islands | |
Stromness | Orkney Islands | yes |
Barrhead* | East Renfrewshire | Yes |
Eaglesham | East Renfrewshire | |
Polmont | Falkirk | |
Boarhills | Fife | |
Colinsburgh | Fife | |
Crail | Fife | |
Elie | Fife | |
Letham (Fife)* | Fife | |
Leven | Fife | Yes |
St. Monans | Fife | |
Strathkinness | Fife | |
Upper Largo | Fife | |
Cranhill | Glasgow City | Yes |
Glasgow Barrhead* | Glasgow City | Yes |
Pollok | Glasgow City | Yes |
Renfrew* | Glasgow City | Yes |
Shettleston | Glasgow City | Yes |
South | Glasgow City | Yes |
Ardgay | Highland | |
Ardgour | Highland | |
Boat Of Garten | Highland | |
Brora | Highland | |
Carrbridge | Highland | |
Castletown | Highland | |
Dulnain Bridge | Highland | |
Edderton | Highland | |
Grantown on Spey | Highland | |
Halkirk | Highland | |
Helmsdale | Highland | |
Bothwell | South Lanarkshire | Yes |
Chapelton | South Lanarkshire | |
Coalburn | South Lanarkshire | |
Crawford | South Lanarkshire | |
Douglas | South Lanarkshire | |
Hamilton | South Lanarkshire | Yes |
Larkhall | South Lanarkshire | Yes |
Strathaven | South Lanarkshire | Yes |
Fauldhouse* | South Lanarkshire | |
Wishaw* | South Lanarkshire | Yes |
Balfron | Stirling | |
Blanefield* | Stirling | |
Buchlyvie | Stirling | |
Drymen | Stirling | |
Fintry | Stirling | |
Killearn | Stirling | |
Lochearnhead | Stirling | |
Strathyre | Stirling | |
Thornhill | Stirling | |
Alexandria | West Dunbartonshire | Yes |
Dumbarton | West Dunbartonshire | Yes |
Duntocher | West Dunbartonshire | Yes |
Armadale | West Lothian | Yes |
Bathgate | West Lothian | Yes |
Fauldhouse* | West Lothian | |
Harthill* | West Lothian | |
Kirkliston* | West Lothian | |
Stoneyburn | West Lothian | |
Whitburn | West Lothian | Yes |
Colinton | City of Edinburgh | |
Corstorphine | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Craiglockhart | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Davidson’s Mains | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Dean | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Donaldson | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Fairmilehead | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Fountainbridge | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Kirkliston* | City of Edinburgh | |
Maybury | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Morningside | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Pentland | City of Edinburgh | |
Rose Street | City of Edinburgh | |
Waverley | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Wester Hailes | City of Edinburgh | Yes |
Cairnryan | Dumfries and Galloway | |
Creetown | Dumfries and Galloway | |
Glencaple | Dumfries and Galloway | |
Liddesdale | Dumfries and Galloway | |
Portpatrick | Dumfries and Galloway | |
Sorbie | Dumfries and Galloway | |
Broughty Ferry | Dundee City | Yes |
Claverhouse | Dundee City | Yes |
Dundee Baxter | Dundee City | Yes |
Dundee Fairmuir* | Dundee City | Yes |
Dundee Lochee | Dundee City | |
Muirhead* | Dundee City | |
Darvel | East Ayrshire | Yes |
Galston | East Ayrshire | |
Kilmarnock | East Ayrshire | Yes |
Ochiltree | East Ayrshire | |
Stewarton | East Ayrshire | Yes |
Blanefield* | East Dunbartonshire | |
Aberlady | East Lothian | |
Athelstaneford | East Lothian | |
Morebattle | East Lothian | |
North Berwick | East Lothian | |
Westray | Orkney Islands | |
Aberfeldy | Perth and Kinross | |
Abernethy | Perth and Kinross | |
Dunning | Perth and Kinross | |
Muthill | Perth and Kinross | |
Pitlochry | Perth and Kinross | |
Rait | Perth and Kinross | |
Strathardle | Perth and Kinross | |
Strathtay | Perth and Kinross | |
Bishopton | Renfrewshire | |
Lochwinnoch | Renfrewshire | |
Renfrew* | Renfrewshire | Yes |
Thornly Park | Renfrewshire | Yes |
Ancrum | Scottish Borders | |
Cockburnspath | Scottish Borders | |
Coldingham | Scottish Borders | |
Denholm | Scottish Borders | |
Eddleston | Scottish Borders | |
Hawick | Scottish Borders | Yes |
Swinton | Scottish Borders | |
Brae | Shetland Islands | |
Cunningsburgh | Shetland Islands | Yes |
Gott | Shetland Islands | |
Hamnavoe | Shetland Islands | |
Lerwick | Shetland Islands | Yes |
Sandwick; Shetland | Shetland Islands | |
Scalloway | Shetland Islands | |
Skellister | Shetland Islands | |
Sullom Voe | Shetland Islands | |
Sumburgh | Shetland Islands | Yes |
Vidlin | Shetland Islands | |
Voe | Shetland Islands | |
Walls | Shetland Islands | |
Weisdale | Shetland Islands | |
Drybridge | South Ayrshire | |
Dunure | South Ayrshire | |
Kirkmichael | South Ayrshire | |
Symington | South Ayrshire | |
Troon | South Ayrshire | Yes |
* These exchanges feature twice because they serve premises in more than one local authority area.
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