The Scottish Executive has promised to provide affordable broadband to those communities in Scotland without access by the end of 2005, it was announced on 25 April 2005. It has signed a contract with BT that will connect the remaining 51,000 households and 5,400 businesses living in remote areas to broadband services by opening 378 exchanges. This contract forms the final part of the Executive's plans to provide the technology to the whole country under its Broadband for Scotland's Rural and Remote Areas initiative.
The Executive funded programme, supported by the European Regional Development Fund, ensures that geographical areas not covered for broadband by commercial markets are given the same opportunities as those that are.
Announcing the contract, Enterprise minister Jim Wallace, said: "We made a commitment in our partnership agreement to ensure that every community in Scotland has access to broadband by the end of 2005. We are now well on the way to delivering on this.
"We cannot allow remote and rural communities to fall behind simply because they cannot access this vital technology that can make a positive difference to many aspects of our lives.
"We have made it clear again and again that economic growth is our top priority. By providing access to broadband technology in Scotland and the huge benefits it brings, we are putting in place an important business and educational tool to facilitate economic growth in every community."
Work will begin on the new services this week, with the first communities to be connected to broadband this summer.
Quelle: KableNET, 25.04.2005
