Highland Broadband will receive a further £10 million in funding from the Scottish National Investment Bank.
The latest round of funding from the bank aims to make significant progress in broadband rollout to rural and remote parts of Scotland, with the goal of providing connectivity to more than 100,000 premises.
A part of Lothian Broadband Networks, Highland Broadband estimates that around half a million Scottish premises still lack access to gigabit-capable networks, as it plans to connect as many as possible over the next coming years.
The bank initially provided £20m in funding to Highland Broadband back in 2021, with a further £20m in 2023. These investments helped the company install gigabit-capable networks across Scotland, to areas such as East Lothian, Stirlingshire, Fife, and the Highlands north of Inverness.
Highland Broadband’s latest phase of deployment includes furthering its network throughout Great Glen, the Black Isle, and the Cairngorms.
“The Highlands and Islands face unique connectivity challenges, but we view overcoming these barriers as essential for providing what should be a basic service for everyone in Scotland,” Gavin Rodgers, chief executive at Highland Broadband, said,
“The bank’s continued support has enabled us to accelerate our plan to connect these regions, which ultimately helps reduce place based inequality in areas such as education, employment and healthcare.”
Before the company started work in 2015, fewer than 1% of premises from Inverness to the north of Scotland, the Black Isle, and on the east coast had access to a gigabit capable network. Now, Highland Broadband’s efforts, as well as other network providers, have improved that to around 80%, with the company expecting to reach 98% coverage by the end of the year.
Andy Clapp, executive director of the Scottish National Investment Bank, said; “Our support of Highland Broadband’s multi-year effort to connect all parts of Scotland aligns with one of our core missions to increase equality through improving spaces.
“The installation of gigabit capable networks, which so many of us take for granted, is already having a real-world impact that’s strengthening the threads of Highland communities.”
Source: DIGIT