The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Stirling to become Scotland’s fourth Gigabit City under £1.7m digital deal
Infrastructure: CityFibre to install next generation network technology in fourth major Scottish city development
Stirling is to become Scotland’s fourth Gigabit City after technology infrastructure provider CityFibre agreed a £1.7 million deal with MLL Telecom.
Construction of the new infrastructure platform begins in June.
The initial development is expected to take 14 months and will deliver 20km of fibre cabling from Bannockburn to the Stirling Agricultural Centre.
The ultra-fast network will connect Stirling Council sites and provide a platform for further digital developments.
As with other CityFibre projects, the new network will be extended over time to offer the majority of Stirling’s 3,000 firms access to gigabit speed services.
Stirling Council leader Johanna Boyd said: “This leap forward for our digital connectivity will make our existing businesses more competitive, encourage new businesses to the city centre, and enable us to deliver education and skills programmes, which not only ensure our students are the most digitally skilled in Scotland, but also provide people of all circumstances and skill levels with opportunities for employment.
“It will also allow those accessing council services to do so faster.
“Following a competitive tender process we have worked closely with MLL Telecom Ltd and CityFibre to ensure that Stirling’s needs are fully met through this project, not just today but well into the future.
“Our City Deal success has truly unlocked Stirling’s digital potential,” she added.
The development has been made possible after CityFibre placed a seven-year contract with an initial value of £1.7m with Buckinghamshire-based MLL.
James McClafferty, CityFibre’s head of regional development in Scotland, said: “By providing unlimited bandwidth and true fibre connectivity, CityFibre’s privately funded investment in Stirling will benefit all areas of the community.”
CEO Greg Mesch said CityFibre was pleased to be working with MLL on a project which would “transform public services and business connectivity in Stirling, our 41st Gigabit City”.