Superfast broadband goes live in Luncarty
More homes and businesses in Perth and Kinross are to benefit from a scheme to deliver super-fast internet speeds – and the people of Luncarty will be some of the first in the area to benefit.
Residents and businesses in the village are now able to connect to high-speed fibre broadband thanks to the roll-out of the £410 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband Programme.
School children celebrating their last day of school and locals came together to watch as the cabinet which will help provide the broadband was unveiled. Luncarty joins more than 50,000 Scottish premises already able to receive fibre broadband thanks to the programme, as BT engineers deploy the technology.
The new infrastructure will mean some premises will be able to access speeds of up to 80Mbps allowing multiple users in a home or business to be able to access the internet and download and share large files at the same time and more quickly than ever before.
Alongside the commercial roll-out of superfast broadband, the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme will see around 95 per cent of premises in Scotland covered by fibre broadband infrastructure by 2017/18.
Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Today marks an important milestone for the people of Luncarty as well as for the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband partnership. This programme will lay the foundations of a world class digital Scotland, by extending fibre broadband access to parts of Scotland that wouldn’t otherwise be served commercially.
“The scale of the challenge of delivering fibre broadband into rural Scotland outstrips any other part of the UK and will generate significant economic benefits, including new jobs and increased productivity.
“This is an important step towards ensuring that Scotland has world-class digital connectivity by 2020. Our investment, and that of our partners in the project, will extend access to superfast broadband across Scotland. This will be a key factor in ensuring Scotland’s long-term economic prosperity.”
The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband initiative consists of two projects – one covering the Highlands and Islands area and the other covering the rest of Scotland. Both projects are being delivered on the ground by BT, which is investing £126m in the projects in addition to its commercial investments in fibre.
The fibre connection at Luncarty is one of the first of a programme of installations throughout Perth and Kinross from the £410 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband partnership designed to extend fibre broadband access to areas of Scotland which would not otherwise be served commercially.
Councillor John Kellas, Convener of Perth & Kinross Council’s Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee, said: “I am delighted that the Council’s investment of £1.2m to improve access to broadband for our residents and businesses is coming to fruition with the first fibre to the cabinet being unveiled in Luncarty.
“We are in the process of rolling out a considerable programme across Perth and Kinross to improve broadband connectivity and the launch in Luncarty is just the first step. Our ambition is for Perth and Kinross to be a leading area for superfast broadband, and I am pleased to see that the results of all the hard work that has been done to take this forward can now begin to be seen. It is important that anyone wanting to receive fibre broadband contacts their service provider.”
Brendan Dick, BT Scotland director, said: “Today marks an important step in the Digital Scotland deployment, with Luncarty becoming one of the first places in Perth and Kinross to benefit. This technological change will help local people and businesses to compete and thrive in the 21st century.
“New locations for fibre will be announced regularly as our engineers carry out detailed local surveys and finalise plans. Delivering a project on this scale is one of the most significant challenges we’ve faced anywhere in the UK in recent years, so it’s great to see the real, tangible benefits arriving in local communities. I hope local people will welcome this upgrade and make the most of fibre broadband.”
Westminster Communications Minister Ed Vaizey said: “This fantastic news marks the next stage of a remarkable transformation of broadband in Perth and Kinross and the Government’s roll out will see around 95 per cent of premises in Scotland connected to fibre broadband infrastructure by 2017/18. We understand how important access to superfast broadband is, which is why the UK Government is investing over £100m in broadband for Scotland. The widespread access to superfast broadband that our rollout will deliver will provide a tremendous boost to the Scottish economy.”
In total, more than three quarters of a million homes and business premises are expected to benefit from the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband initiative. Funding partners include the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the UK Government through Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), local authorities and the European Development Fund, as well as BT.
Locations will be announced quarterly over the life of the projects. Further information about the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project can be found at www.digitalscotland.org
Background
The Rest of Scotland project is being supported through £157.6 million public funding including £50 million from BDUK and BT’s private investment of £106.7 million. The public funding includes funding from all 27 local authorities in the project area and additional funding from 14 local authorities who are investing around £51 million to increase coverage, meet local priorities and address the digital divide in their areas. Coupled with the investment in the Highlands and Islands region announced earlier in the year, it brings the total investment in fibre broadband in Scotland to more than £410 million.
The Rest of Scotland project area includes the following local authority areas: Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, parts of Argyll & Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries & Galloway, Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Ayrshire (apart from the Islands), North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian.
The Highlands and Islands broadband project is being led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and includes the following local authority areas: Highland, Moray, Orkney Islands, Shetland Islands, Eilean Siar (Western Isles), parts of Argyll and Bute and part of North Ayrshire (Islands).
About BDUK
Superfast Britain is a UK Government programme of investment in broadband and communication infrastructure across the UK. Run by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, this investment helps businesses to grow, creates jobs and will make Britain more competitive in the global race. The portfolio is comprised of three elements:
- £780m to extend superfast broadband to 95% of the UK by 2017
- £150m to provide high speed broadband to businesses in 22 cities
- £150m to improve quality and coverage of mobile phone and basic data network services
Administered on behalf of Government by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), Superfast Britain is transforming Britain by promoting growth, enabling skills and learning, and improving quality of life.
For further information: https://www.gov.uk/broadband-delivery-uk
