​More West Lothian pupils get a lesson with fibre broadband

Pupils from four more West Lothian primary schools were superfast in finding out the benefits of fibre broadband this week when the Digital Scotland Fibre Showcase paid them a visit.

More than 10,300 households and businesses across West Lothian can now access high-speed fibre services thanks to the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme.

Pupils from the four schools – Greenrigg, Stoneyburn, Blackridge and Polbeth Primaries – climbed aboard the Digital Scotland Fibre Showcase, a unique vehicle which features equipment used in the roll-out of fibre broadband.

Local people need to sign up for the new, faster services with an internet service provider, as upgrades are not automatic.

The local premises are among more than around 660,000 homes and businesses across Scotland which are now able to access fibre broadband through the £410 million Digital Scotland rollout.

Other local areas to benefit from the programme include Whitburn, Addiewell, West Calder, and Murieston. More local coverage will follow as engineers from Openreach, BT’s local network business, continue work on the ground.

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 great news that many residents and businesses in and around Harthill, Stoneyburn, Blackridge and Polbeth are now able to receive fibre broadband thanks to the programme, with more local coverage to follow.

“I also hope that all the children at the school enjoyed visiting our Digital Scotland Fibre Showcase and found it insightful in finding out what fibre broadband can provide and how it’s delivered.”

Liz Mallinson, BT Scotland’s Fibre Broadband Director, added: “According to the independent ThinkBroadband website, more than 88 per cent of West Lothian households can now gain access to a high-speed broadband service at speeds of 24Mbps and above, while the Digital Scotland rollout has reached more than 10,000 premises that were not included in any commercial provider’s rollout.

“This progress means that the vast majority of homes and businesses in West Lothian now have the opportunity to access their best ever broadband speeds when they sign up for the new services with their chosen provider.

“We very much welcome the opportunity to visit local schools and tell them about the engineering effort that powers the internet and, hopefully, inspire some of the boys and girls about the possibilities of a career in engineering.”

Local people can check the interactive map on the Digital Scotland website (http://www.scotlandsuperfast.com/where-when/) to find out if they can get the service and further information is also available on Twitter @ScotSuperfast or Facebook atwww.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.

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.