Superfast broadband speeding to Kintyre black spots

SOUTHEND and Glenbarr are both set to be switched on to lightening quick broadband.

As part of a £410 million digital programme, delivered through two projects led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the Scottish Government, work will start in more rural areas across Argyll in the next six months.

Campbeltown, Machrihanish, Carradale and Tarbert already have access to the service, but the latest roll-out will see other villages in Kintyre brought up to speed.

Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara said: ‘This is fantastic news for our rural towns and villages who will have better access to fibre broadband. Core infrastructure gives communities a much better base to build on into the future.’

Stuart Robertson, director of digital at HIE: ‘When we started this project fibre services were only available to 4 per cent of the region’s homes and businesses.

‘Coverage has come a long way, and the new core infrastructure we’ve rolled out gives us a much better base to build on into the future.

‘It is great that we are seeing growing numbers of rural towns and villages with better access to fibre broadband than ever before.’

The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme underpins the Scottish Government’s aim for the country to become a world-class digital nation by 2020.

It is aiming to deliver access to fibre broadband to around 95 per cent of premises by the end of March 2018, when combined with existing commercial roll-out plans.

Funding partners of the programme include the UK Government through Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), BT, local authorities and the EU via the European Regional Development Fund.

The first fibre connections for the new locations are due to go live this winter.