HIE has announced fibre broadband will go live in Argyll and Moray this summer

16th January 2014

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has given a connectivity boost to homes and businesses in Argyll and Moray by announcing that it will be bringing fibre optic broadband to the area this summer.

The upgrade will come as a result of a collaborative scheme that has seen HIE join forces with service provider BT and invest a total of £146 million to roll out the superfast service all over the region.

Representatives have revealed the new network is scheduled to go live in July and it will provide premises with speeds as high as 80 Mbps.

Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead explained bringing fibre optic broadband to the most sparsely populated areas of Scotland is a relatively difficult task, but couldn't hide his delight upon hearing HIE's announcement.

He said: "It’s fantastic news that many rural communities and businesses, from the Highlands to the Borders, will soon begin to see the benefits of high quality digital connectivity, making them more economically viable in the long term."