Scottish and UK ministers unite to boost rural broadband

The UK Government has now begun work with the Scottish Government to improve broadband services in rural areas of Scotland.

Approximately 11,000 businesses and homes in East Lothian and the Scottish Borders are set to gain from the Scotland rollout, with more contracts now planned for other areas in the country later this year.

Thanks to the combined efforts of the Scottish and UK Governments, enterprises and residential properties in Scotland will benefit from access to ultra-fast internet as part of the “Project Gigabyte” and “Plan for Change” mission in 2025. The UK Government initiatives aim to supercharge broadband access in remote and rural parts of the country, as well as underserved urban areas.

East Lothian and the Scottish Borders will soon be able to connect to gigabit-capable internet, helping companies compete and let their staff operate remotely. This will also allow residents to more easily carry out daily tasks, from accessing online health advice with remote hospital consultations to applying and interviewing for job roles.

UK Telecoms minister Chris Bryant commented:

“As technological advancements race ahead and revolutionise our day-to-day lives, we cannot afford to leave anyone behind.”

The planned upgrades will support people living and working in some of the UK and Scotland’s most remote areas. Locations in the Scottish Borders due for update include Ettrickbridge, Broughton and St Abbs, and in East Lothian, Innerwick and Athelstaneford.

These places will be some of the first in the nation to gain from the £26 million contract that was awarded to Scotland under Project Gigabit.