Broadband roll out continues
Around 4000 homes and businesses in Rutherglen are now able to connect to fibre broadband.
The properties in Rutherglen join more than 14,500 homes and businesses in South Lanarkshire which are now able to access fibre broadband through the Digital Scotland rollout.
An event will be held in the town this Thursday to help locals find out more about the high-speed service. The special drop-in event will be held on Castle Street between 11am and 3pm on Thursday, September 3.
Anyone in the local community interested in finding out how fibre broadband works and the benefits it can provide is welcome to attend the free event.
Fibre broadband enables multiple users in a home or business to access the internet, download and share large files at the same time more quickly than ever before. In order to take advantage of the higher speeds now available, residents should contact their service provider.
The Digital Scotland rollout is being delivered on the ground by engineers from BT’s local network business, Openreach. With more than 1,600 new cabinets now installed across Scotland to house the fibre connections, the project underpins the Scottish Government’s aim of delivering world class connectivity by 2020.
During the drop- in event, members of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme will be on hand to get people up to speed with the technology and provide advice on areas such as signing up with a service provider.
Those attending will also be able to climb aboard the new Digital Scotland Fibre Showcase, a specially-adapted vehicle which features all of the equipment used in the rollout of fibre broadband.
Chair of South Lanarkshire Council’s Enterprise Services Committee, Councillor Chris Thompson, said: “It’s really exciting to hear that so many premises in and around Rutherglen are already able to connect to fibre broadband.
“It’s good to see this project reaching more communities in our area, contributing towards the aim of connecting most of our homes and businesses to fibre broadband.”
Sara Budge, programme director for Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband, added: “It’s great news that many residents and businesses in and around Rutherglen are now able to receive fibre broadband thanks to the programme, with more local coverage to follow.
“I’m also excited that we’ll be having our new Digital Scotland fibre showcase there. This will give residents an interesting and detailed idea of what fibre broadband can provide and exactly how it’s delivered.
“The difference a high-speed connection can make is amazing, giving much more flexibility at work or in the home. I hope that local residents will come along to the event on Castle Street to get an understanding of the boost they can expect from a fast fibre broadband connection when they sign up with a service provider.”
Local people can check the interactive map on the Digital Scotland website (http://www.digitalscotland.org/whereandwhen) to find out if they can get the service and further information is also available on Twitter @ScotSuperfast or Facebook at www.facebook.com/scotlandsuperfast
It’s good to see this project reaching more communities in our area