Welcome for new R100 broadband figures

Angus South MSP Graeme Dey has welcomed figures indicating that 17,500 premises across Angus have been connected to fibre-based broadband thanks to £1billion of investment from the SNP Scottish Government.

The £463 million Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme, which launched in 2014, has connected over 950,600 premises Scotland-wide to fibre-based broadband – over 150,000 more than originally anticipated. In addition, the £600 million Reaching 100% (R100) programme is rolling out connections in some of the country’s most challenging rural locations – including in Angus.

Mr Dey said this landmark achievement has been vital for improving digital connectivity in the local area, creating new and enhanced opportunities for education, employment and leisure.

Independent analysis has also shown that the programme is delivering £12 of benefits to the economy for every £1 of public funding.

He said: “The long-running DSSB programme has been critical in rolling out fibre broadband across Angus and Scotland as a whole. It is very encouraging to know quite how many properties locally have been connected thanks to this direct investment.

“It pays dividends in the resultant increased ability of people to work, learn and connect generally – facilitating a growing green economy.

"This government is committed to continuing this progress until those most hard-to-reach areas are also upgraded .”