Innerleithen to be best connected town in Scotland

David O'Leary • Published 29 Nov 2011 09:30 1 Comment

INNERLEITHEN is set to become the best-connected place in Scotland after winning a BT super-fast broadband competition.

BT announced this week that Innerleithen will not only benefit from fibre to the cabinet super-fast broadband (FTTC) - the type that is currently being rolled out in Scotland - but also from fibre to the premises super-fast broadband (FTTP) which boasts even faster speeds.

BT Scotland's partnerships director James McClafferty visited the Whistle Stop Cafe in Innerleithen on Monday to brief campaigners and locals on the upgrade and unveil the news that they will be the first people in Scotland to benefit from FTTP and the fastest speeds on the network.

He said: "This is fantastic news for the people of Innerleithen and the campaigners who have fought hard to win faster broadband for the town.

"With a mix of fibre to the cabinet and fibre to the premises technologies, Innerleithen will streak ahead of other Scottish communities and become the best connected place in Scotland.

"BT is investing thousands of man hours in this upgrade and installing 112 kilometres of fibre to give Innerleithen one of the highest percentages of fibre coverage to be found anywhere in the UK.

"At a time when organisations around the UK are seeking investment partners to bring super-fast technologies to their areas and give them a competitive edge, Innerleithen has shot straight to the forefront of Digital Britain."

More than 99 per cent of households and businesses in Innerleithen will see an increase in speed, while more than 96 per cent will have speeds topping 15Mbps.

And fibre speeds are set to get even faster next year with FTTC roughly doubling from up to 40Mbps to up to 80Mbps and FTTP soaring to up to 300Mbps.

Innerleithen was promised super-fast broadband after winning BT's Race to Infinity - a national survey of demand for the technology which invited communities throughout the UK to register interest.

Openreach, BT's local network division, is currently carrying out overnight engineering works in the town and is on track to be ready to accept orders for super-fast broadband services in Innerleithen from March 2012.

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This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 29 Nov 11

Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  hazelkaye
  224 posts
  Dec 1, 19:16
  Report comment

  Pity that 'communication' in practical, everyday terms is still so limited! Railway long gone and a slow bus service! Yet again - who need to travel!
  
  Innerleithen - "centre of the internet universe" and with Caldwell's ice-creams too!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 7     No 3

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