Scotland's Infrastructure and Capital Investment Secretary, Alex Neil, said:

"We have set out our ambition for all of Scotland to have access to next generation broadband by 2020, with significant progress to be made by 2015.

Meeting the challenge of delivering this service to rural areas in particular is a key priority of our Digital Strategy. Access to Next Generation broadband will prove hugely beneficial to the South of Scotland, helping existing business to expand, attracting new businesses to the area and connecting communities.

SOSA shares that vision and I am pleased that we are able to work in partnership to help make it a reality.

This funding allocation is an acknowledgement of the particular issues facing the remote and rural parts of the Scottish economy and of the collaborative efforts being made by colleagues in the South of Scotland to progress an improved digital infrastructure. It is designed to get the project up and running and will lever in further funding - both public and private - in the future."