Speed upgrade to solve firms’ web problems

FRUSTRATED businesses in Edinburgh city centre are to be offered a solution to an internet “black hole”.

Edinburgh: 'Not spot' to be fixed. Picture: PA

The central core has been dubbed a “not spot” because so many firms have difficulty accessing the web, largely because of an outdated telecoms exchange.

Commsworld has now stepped in to unbundle the Rose Street Exchange, which serves about 2,000 businesses in the area.

The company says the new business it anticipates picking up will help push turnover above £10 million.

Charlie Boisseau, managing director of the network division, said the breakthrough will be welcome news to businesses blighted by poor connections and download speeds, which hamper their ability to compete with rivals elsewhere in the country.

Engineers will install equipment at the exchange to improve signal strength from the copper wires first laid early last century.

The service will be aimed at businesses only and will deliver speeds of 35-40Mb per second, surpassing the government target for super-fast business access.