Broadband boost for Isle of Bute
More than 2,700 homes and businesses on the Isle of Bute are to benefit from the roll-out of superfast broadband.
Fibre-based broadband is to be installed on the Scottish island as part of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project. Specifically, the towns of Rothesay and Ardbeg will be the areas targeted for the high speeds broadband, with seven green fibre cabinets having been installed in recent months.
The project, which is being driven by the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), is estimated to have cost £146 million. Openreach has been carrying out the work on the ground. The funding for the project has come from four sources: the Scottish Government, the UK Government, HIE and BT.
It was originally stated that the installation would take place in 2016, but in February this year it was announced that the plan had been brought forward to this summer. According to the Scotsman, the roll-out is just the first stage of bringing superfast broadband to the Isle of Bute, with further work due to take place over the coming months to help connect other villages on the island.
Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, said: “We are changing the shape of access to better broadband for our rural and island communities. The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project is making high speed services available to thousands of people every week in places which would not have been reached through the market.
“It’s fantastic to see the first homes and businesses now able to order in Rothesay. It’s another step in building the infrastructure which will see us fulfil the Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver world class connectivity in Scotland by 2020.”
The Digital Scotland initiative is split into two parts: the highlands and the islands, and the rest of the country.
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