The 200 rural areas of Scotland that can now access high-speed full-fibre broadband

The initiative has delivered to remote and rural properties in some 200 locations in the first half of this year, from the Shetland islands of Yell and Whalsay to Stranraer and Wigtown in Dumfries and Galloway and across the Clachan Bridge to Argyll’s Isle of Seil. Around 5,950 households and businesses in Aberdeenshire and more than 6,500 in the Scottish Borders now have access to full-fibre internet connections, with the build ramping up in Moray and Stirlingshire as work continues this summer.

The latest work is being carried out as part of the Scottish Government’s £600 million Reaching 100% (R100) rollout. Delivery partner Openreach - part of BT - confirmed that the R100 build is due to start in dozens more places before the end of the year, including the Hebridean island of Mull, Westray and Rousay in Orkney and Kilchoan in Lochaber.

Full-fibre broadband is up to 30 times faster than the Scottish Government’s original commitment to make superfast services available to homes and businesses with existing connections of less than 30 megabits per second (Mbps). Once the full-fibre connection has been made available, people need to arrange for their package to be upgraded through their chosen internet service provider.

Full-fibre promises a more reliable, resilient and future-proof connection, with fewer faults, more consistent speeds and enough capacity to meet the data demands across multiple devices. For businesses, an ultra high-speed connection can help with productivity, efficiency and security and support everyday operations like video calls and staff training.

Katie Milligan, Openreach’s chief commercial officer and chair of its Scotland board, said: “The R100 build is a monumental effort to upgrade and connect Scotland’s most challenging locations. More than 1,000 people are working on the build, with three million metres of new cable installed so far this year.

“Our teams are all set for a busy summer, expanding full-fibre infrastructure in areas like Moray and Stirling alongside more island upgrades. Protecting nature and wildlife is paramount in these sensitive rural and remote environments. We’re seeing really positive, steady growth in take-up across the country.”

Some £600m is being invested in the R100 programme, which consists of the contracts delivered by Openreach, the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme and ongoing commercial coverage.

Scottish Government employment and investment minister Tom Arthur said: “Digital infrastructure is a key enabler of economic growth and an increasingly vital part of our everyday lives. It’s why the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring communities across the length and breadth of the country will benefit from full-fibre broadband and making record investment of over £600 million in its rollout.

“The R100 programme is a critical part of the upgrade to full-fibre technology. It’s exciting that thousands more premises are now able to access a full-fibre connection, and we’ll continue to work with Openreach to deliver further connections up and down the country.”

Interview: Katie Milligan, Openreach's CCO and chair of its Scotland board