Digital rollout will be a boost

NIKI TENNANT

Households and businesses across South Lanarkshire can now upgrade to faster fibre broadband through the £460 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) rollout.

More than 32,800 homes and businesses across South Lanarkshire are now able to connect to the network as engineers from Openreach continue work on the ground during 2019/20.

Paul Wheelhouse MSP, the Scottish government minister for energy, connectivity and the Islands, said: “More and more people are now able to sign up to fibre broadband thanks to the £400 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme.

“The difference that having fibre broadband can make to businesses or to improving the range of services available in the home is amazing.

“I’d urge everyone to take advantage of the faster speeds now available.

“There’s lots of competition out there and people may find they could be surfing at much higher speeds at a similar cost to their current service, but the key is for customers to contact one or more service providers to explore the options available to them, as upgrades to customers’ packages are not automatic.”

Research has suggested that every £1 in public investment in fibre broadband in Scotland is delivering almost £12 of benefits to the Scottish economy.

The independent report commissioned by DSSB and undertaken by consultants Analysys Mason estimates the total benefit from investment as £2.76 billion over 15 years.

Robert Thorburn, partnership director for Openreach in Scotland, said: “The Digital Scotland rollout is still reaching new communities and bringing better broadband to rural residents, families and businesses.

“Better connectivity right across Scotland means digital progress on every level – from pupils doing homework and communities tapping in to the tourist trade online to virtual assistants like Alexa helping vulnerable people to live more independent lives.

“Our focus in South Lanarkshire for the final few months of the project will be building more small, full fibre networks capable of gigabit speeds in harder-to-reach places.”

Councillor John Anderson, chair of South Lanarkshire Council community and enterprise resources committee, said: “Large numbers of homes and businesses can now upgrade via Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband.

“These connections are providing access to faster connections that are crucial for growing our economy and enhancing the lives and lifestyles of our residents.

Fast, reliable broadband connectivity is vital for our people to work, play and learn wherever they live.”