Almost 200,000 homes promised faster broadband in latest upgrade

Rural areas will be the main beneficiaries of the plan announced yesterday, which came ten days after the firm said it would extend “superfast” broadband to another 277,000 homes and companies in Scotland.

The improvements will help both BT customers and those of other internet service providers which use BT cables.

In the latest stage, BT is upgrading copper lines serving 47 areas across Scotland, from Lerwick in Shetland to Stranraer and Hawick in the south.

It will more than double broadband speeds to 20 megabits a second (mbps). Average UK speeds are 6.8 mbps.

The development will increase the number of users to benefit from the technology to 1.5 million, or nearly three in four premises in Scotland.

The news follows the latest stage of BT’s £2.5 billion expansion of superfast broadband across the UK, using fibre cables for speeds of up to 100 mbps.

Brendan Dick, director of BT Scotland, said: “BT’s roll-out of faster broadband across Scotland is gathering pace.

“Earlier this month we announced plans which will make super-fast, fibre-based broadband available to 695,500 homes and businesses by the end of next year. Now we are able to confirm a further major investment in faster broadband speeds over copper lines. At a time of economic uncertainty, these major improvements will provide a big boost for local businesses and offer many additional educational and entertainment opportunities for local households.”

The move was applauded by the Scottish Government.

Infrastructure secretary Alex Neil said: “We very much welcome this latest announcement from BT. Faster broadband is going to play a key role in Scotland’s future success. In an increasingly competitive and technological world, it is vital local businesses and households have access to high-speed sophisticated communications.”

Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire Conservative MSP John Lamont welcomed the boost that it would provide for the Borders but said the rest of the region must benefit, too.

He said: “It was unacceptable that so many people in the Borders had to put up with either little or no access to a broadband connection and I am glad that BT have finally taken some action.

“Not only will thousands of individuals benefit, but businesses will now be able to compete on an even platform. However, while BT should undoubtedly be congratulated for this investment, there is still work to be done.

“There are still far too many communities in the Borders for whom access to any type of broadband is still a long way off. BT must now start to concentrate on how to widen access in the Borders even further.”

BT said its target was for two-thirds of the UK to have superfast broadband by 2014, but the proportion would be smaller in Scotland and increasing presented a “significant challenge”.