In a bid to enhance connectivity across rural Scotland, Openreach is rallying communities in 18 picturesque locales to harness the potential of ultrafast, ultra-reliable full fibre broadband. The company is urging eligible residents in areas such as Sanquhar, Carrbridge, and Greengairs to leverage free UK Government broadband vouchers, facilitating accelerated internet speeds and heightened reliability.
Openreach, the leading network provider in the UK, is mobilizing efforts to empower 18 rural Scottish communities with the transformative potential of full fibre broadband. Recognizing the significance of seizing this unprecedented opportunity, the company encourages eligible property owners in regions like Sanquhar in Dumfries and Galloway, Carrbridge in the Highlands, and Chapelton in South Lanarkshire to apply for free UK Government broadband vouchers. The vouchers provide support to the networks to lay the fibre, although the communities must show interest in order for the networks to recieve the grants.
The initiative, part of the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, extends the reach of the full fibre network to previously underserved rural areas. Openreach identifies these villages as prime candidates for full fibre, urging locals to apply for and pool together the government-issued Gigabit Vouchers to catalyze the implementation of this infrastructure upgrade. For many of these villages, they will be reliant on traditional copper networks, where speeds will very rarely exceed 80mbps.
Robert Thorburn, Openreach’s Partnership Director, expressed enthusiasm about the potential impact on these villages, stating, “This is a really exciting opportunity for the people in these villages to bring all the benefits of ultrafast, ultra-reliable full fibre broadband to their communities. Our Fibre Community Partnership programme has meant that we’re able to potentially bring lots more communities across Scotland into our full fibre build plans.”
While Openreach is committed to investing £15 billion to bring full fibre broadband to 25 million homes, with over six million in challenging terrains, it acknowledges the collaborative effort required to achieve comprehensive national coverage. Community involvement, along with government support, plays a pivotal role in fulfilling this ambitious vision.
Upon reaching the targeted number of pledges, residents will need to validate their vouchers with the UK Government, paving the way for Openreach to commence construction. In adherence to funding conditions, residents commit to subscribing to a full fibre service for at least 12 months once the network is operational, ensuring a sustainable and robust digital infrastructure.
Full fibre technology promises increased reliability, resilience, and future-proof connectivity. Fewer faults, predictable speeds, and ample capacity to meet growing data demands characterize this innovative solution, positioning these communities as tech-forward hubs with enduring connectivity benefits for generations to come.
