Broadband boost for Findhorn
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PLANS have been outlined for ultrafast broadband in Findhorn in a scheme to connect the UK's "harder to reach" spots.
Network building will start in the next 14 months as Openreach works towards a target to reach four million homes and businesses with full fibre technology by the end of March next year.
The Findhorn build is part of the company’s ambition to extend its full fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network outside cities.
Trials at the tail end of last year have seen engineers develop a range of new tools, skills and techniques to build full fibre in areas previously considered too complex or expensive to upgrade.
Robert Thorburn, Openreach partnership director for Scotland, said: "This is great news for people living and working in Findhorn and builds on Openreach’s strong track record of working in rural areas.
"For years, we’ve played a key role alongside public sector partners to upgrade 94 per cent of Scotland to superfast broadband. Today’s announcement is about taking the next step and building a full fibre network that is not only faster, but also more reliable and future-proof for generations to come.
"We’re committing significant capital and resources to rural Scotland in the months and years ahead, including connecting up some of the hardest-to-reach locations in partnership with the Scottish Government."
A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research said connecting everyone in Scotland to full fibre broadband by 2025 would create a £4.5 billion boost to the nation’s economy.
The report said 37,400 people in Scotland could be brought back into the workforce through enhanced connectivity – as well as allowing thousands more people to work remotely.
Openreach CEO Clive Selley said: "Our full fibre build programme is going great guns – having passed more than two million premises already on the way to our four million target by March 2021. Our ambition is to reach 15 million premises by mid-2020s if right investment conditions are in place."
