MORE than 95 per cent of Scotland’s homes and businesses are now able to connect to fibre broadband, the Scottish Government announced yesterday.

Around 890,000 premises are now connected, thanks to the the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) project, with a total contribution of £280 million from across the public sector in Scotland.

Without the DSSB programme, it is estimated that only 66 per cent of Scotland would be able to receive fibre broadband.

The 95 per cent coverage mark was achieved at the end of 2017, in line with the commitment made in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2017.

Progress has been subject to checking and confirmation processes.

DSSB is delivered through two projects – led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in its area, and the Scottish Government in the rest of Scotland.

Partners involved in the Digital Highlands and Islands Project include Digital Scotland, the Scottish Government, the European Regional Development Fund, Citizens Online and Business Gateway.

Funding partners for DSSB also include the UK Government through Broadband Delivery UK , BT Group, local authorities and the European Union via the European Regional Development Fund.

The Digital Scotland

Programme is a key step in

the Scottish Government’s aim for Scotland to become a world

class digital nation by 2020.

Bringing high-speed broadband to Scotland is one of the most ambitious infrastructure programmes in the whole of Europe.

The Scottish Government has pledged that every home and business will have access to superfast broadband by 2021, as a result of a £600m investment over four years.

The pledge was made as part of the Scottish Government’s 2018-19 draft budget.

The Reaching 100 per cent (R100) programme will deliver fast and reliable internet, with a particular focus on rural and island communities.

The Scottish Government

is committed to a capital investment package that is being made over

the next four financial years

to March 2022.

Connectivity Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “Fast and reliable internet is fundamental for the future economic and social success of communities right across Scotland.

“This is a landmark for the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme, which has connected around 890,000 premises to fibre broadband, and is ensuring Scotland can offer world-class digital infrastructure.

“However, we want to go further, and we are now focusing on delivering our £600m ‘Reaching 100 per cent’ programme, which is the biggest public investment ever made in a single UK broadband project.

“This will make sure every single premise in Scotland can access a speeds of at least 30Mbps by the end of 2021,” he added.