£157m to connect rural Scotland to gigabit broadband

Around 65,000 Scottish homes and businesses are set to receive access to fast, reliable broadband, even in more isolated areas of the UK.

Several remote islands off Scotland’s west coast will benefit, including thousands of premises across the Outer Hebrides, where only seven pre cent are able to access gigabit broadband.

The isles of Skye and Islay, as well as rural parts of the Highlands like Durness, the most north-westerly village in Durness. 

This comes as part of Project Gigabit, a government mission to connect digitally isolated communities with gigabit-capable government-funded broadband, allowing people to work, bank, shop and study online without buffering. Last August, the government signed an £800 million agreement with Openreach to connect rural areas to fast internet. 

This is all thanks to a £157 million government contract with Openreach, which is the largest deal under Project Gigabit.

Telecoms minister Chris Bryant said: “Digital exclusion for people living and working in hard-to-reach areas across Scotland can be a huge obstacle to living a better and healthier life. Elderly and vulnerable people could miss out on the best treatment options in North Ayrshire, while budding entrepreneurs could be held back from their dream of running a successful business in Moray.

“With our recent Digital Inclusion Action Plan, we have pledged to take everyone along with us in the digital revolution so that we don’t entrench existing inequalities as technological progress races ahead.

“This huge UK government investment is a commitment to using technology to make lives in Scotland better as well as turbocharging local economies to deliver on our growth mission under the government’s Plan for Change.”