Thousands of homes and businesses across Scotland’s most isolated communities are due to benefit from transformative broadband upgrades, as the UK government rolls out the latest stage of its £5 billion Project Gigabit programme to combat digital exclusion.
New plans recently announced will see gigabit-capable broadband delivered to around 65,000 rural premises in the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Argyll and Bute, Angus, and Perth and Kinross—some of the hardest-to-reach areas in the UK.
The move belongs to a broader commitment to ensure every part of the UK, regardless of geography, can access fast, reliable Internet, a key enabler for economic growth, education, healthcare access, and remote work opportunities.
“The continued rollout of project gigabit in Scotland to reach isolated communities is a vital step in bridging the digital divide, providing the infrastructure for those without essential online services that many of us take for granted,” said Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance. “Scotland, especially, has proven difficult to reach for broadband providers due to its rural nature, so investment and collaboration in this scheme is a strong commitment to ensure millions aren’t left digitally excluded.
“It’s particularly welcome that the government recognises the shift towards digital services such as online banking and learning as a key driver behind the investment. Connectivity must be viewed as an essential utility as an increasing number of services move online in the digital age, and this broadband rollout is a positive step in placing connectivity as a central pillar in national technology policy. What is now key is that the monthly costs of using high-speed connections are affordable, especially as the cost-of-living crisis continues.”
The £157 million contract with Openreach is the largest ever awarded under Project Gigabit. It will power up efforts to tackle digital exclusion across the entire UK – delivering the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change, from boosting local economic growth by giving businesses the vital tools they need, to improving access to public services like virtual NHS appointments.
The rollout forms part of an £800 million agreement with Openreach, announced last August, to deliver gigabit broadband to rural and remote areas across Britain. Under this agreement, work is already underway to connect more than 227,000 premises in parts of Wales and England. In Scotland, delivery will be a joint effort between the UK Government, Scottish Government and Openreach.
This announcement comes amid a record-breaking year for the UK’s digital infrastructure, with more than 1.8 million rural premises already connected to gigabit broadband.
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