"It's about time" says Highland councillor on broadband announcement

A Highland councillor for Badenoch has said it's about time that Newtonmore was included in the roll-out of super broadband.

The village has finally been confirmed as one of the next communities in the Highlandsto benefit from the upgrade.

It comes just over three months after fears were expressed by community leaders that Newtonmore was being left behind in the digital age.

The village had been omitted in the previous announcement on the next wave of communities in the region to benefit from the improved service.

Pretty much every other town and village in Badenoch and Strathspey had been included on the list announced in April.

Councillor Dave Fallows, reacting to the latest announcement, said: "It's about time too - the original promise was super fast broadband in Newtonmore by Autumn 2015.

"I think they’ll be going some to deliver that, but it is encoruaging to see fibre optic lines being laid between Kingussie and Newtonmore.

"It does seem likely that the Kingussie part of the 01540 exchange area will get superfast before the Newtonmore part and that is perverse, but then again, BT are a law unto themselves."

The upgrade for Newtonmore will be carried out along with work starting on fibre networks in Loch Ness-side villages including Dochgarroch, Dores, Drumnadrochit, Foyers, Glenmoriston, Glenurquhart and Fort Augustus.

The communities next in line to benefit are announced on a three-monthly basis with the work then due to be carried out over the following six months.

The news comes in the same week as the UK Government announced the nationwide rollout of superfast broadband has now passed more than three million UK homes and businesses.

The rollout is on track to reach 95 per cent of the UK by 2017 and is now available to around 5,000 additional premises every day.

The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project, led in the region by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), brings better broadband to thousands of homes and businesses which would not be reached by the private sector’s commercial fibre broadband programme.

• A full list of areas where work has started or is live is available on www.hie.co.uk/whereandwhen and there is also a postcode checker where people can check their own telephone or postcode details for an idea of progress.

Meanwhile local MP Drew Hendry has welcomed the Scottish Government’s announcement of a further £18 million investment to deliver high-speed fibre broadband in rural areas.

He said: "The Scottish Governments announcement will ensure that the 85 percent of premises will have high-speed fibre broadband by the end of March 2016 and 95 per cent by the end of 2017. This will help local people and businesses greatly.

"In Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, many people have been in contact with me over the past few months keen to see broadband rolled out in areas where it is still needed.

"When I am speaking to local businesses, broadband is one of the key issues that comes up time and time again. Lack of connectivity affects productivity and the ability to do business effectively. Further roll out has the potential to help grow their business and help tourism.

"This investment is another example of the Scottish Government’s commitment to the Highlands and to improving connectivity in the area. I am delighted that so much progress is being made as we move closer to transforming our rural communities."

The programme brings together public and BT funding to go further with fibre broadband to areas that would not otherwise be reached.

The contract between the Scottish Government, BT and Highlands and Islands Enterprise included a "gain share" clause to claw back funding if the project reached agreed take up levels, which it is on track to exceed.

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