Superfast Fraser helps Prestwick get set for fibre broadband

Young sprinter Fraser Angus got off his marks this week to help Digital Scotland celebrate the availability of superfast broadband in his home town of Prestwick.

Later this month Fraser, who trains with Kilmarnock Harrier & Athletic Club, will compete for Scotland in the Youth Commonwealth Games in the Bahamas - where he is hoping to run superfast!

Prestwick homes and businesses are among around 780,000 across Scotland which are now able to access fibre broadband through the Digital Scotland rollout.

Other areas in South Ayrshire to benefit from the Digital Scotland rollout, led by the Scottish Government, include Minishant, Dailly, Doonfoot, Coylton, Dunure, Maidens, Symington and Tarbolton. More local coverage will follow as engineers from Openreach – Scotland’s digital network business - continue work on the ground.

Local people can check the Digital Scotland website - http://www.scotlandsuperfast.com/where-when/ - to find out if they are able to access the latest fibre broadband technology. People need to sign up with an internet service provider, as upgrades are not automatic.

Fraser said: “It was fantastic to help unveil more fibre broadband in Prestwick and fascinating to see the great engineering work that is involved in connecting up communities to fibre.

“I’m excited to be part of the Youth Commonwealth Games this summer where I hope to run superfast! While I’m only 17, I’ve had many athletic achievements this year that I hope to replicate during the games. I would also like to thank my coach Donald McIntosh for his support throughout the past year.

“Despite the fact I’m going on to university this year, I’d also like to pursue my athletics career attaining even higher standards. I am currently seeking support through sponsorship to help manage training, travelling and equipment costs*.”

Fibre broadband offers fast and reliable broadband connections at speeds of up to 80Mbps** and there are many suppliers in the marketplace to choose from. Whether you own a business, work from home or want to keep in touch with friends and family, fibre broadband enables multiple users to connect to the internet at high speeds and get better, faster access to online services.

Sara Budge, Programme Director for Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband, said: “It’s fantastic news that the programme has been able to launch more fibre broadband to benefit residents and businesses in and around Prestwick.

“I’d like to thank Fraser for joining us this week to unveil the latest coverage and we wish him all the very best of success during the Youth Commonwealth Games this summer!”

Digital Scotland funding partners include the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, BT, the UK Government through Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), local authorities and the European Regional Development Fund. BT is investing £126 million in the rollout, and the total project value includes around £18 million which is being reinvested back in to the programme as a result of stronger than expected early take-up.

Robert Thorburn, Openreach client director for Scotland, said: “Thousands of people in South Ayrshire now have the opportunity to access their best ever broadband speeds when they sign up with a service provider. There’s lots of competition out there and people may find they could be surfing at much higher speeds at a similar cost to their current service. Fraser is certainly superfast – and now you could be too!”

Further information is also available on Twitter @ScotSuperfast or Facebook at www.facebook.com/scotlandsuperfast

ENDS

**These are the top wholesale speeds available from Openreach to all service providers; speeds offered by service providers may vary.

Notes to editors:

Due to the current network topography and the economics of deployment, it is likely that not all premises within selected exchange areas will be able to access fibre-based broadband at the same point in the roll-out.

The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme aims to provide fibre broadband infrastructure to parts of Scotland not included in commercial providers’ investment plans. Combined with current commercial roll-out plans, the programme will deliver access to fibre broadband to around 95% of premises by the end of the current contract.