Scotland set for rural broadband boost

Residents and businesses in remote areas of Scotland will be given access to broadband services as part of a major infrastructure improvement project.

The £3.3 million agreement between the Scottish government and Avanti Caledonian Broadband will see a combination of internet, satellite and wireless technology rolled out across the country.

A total of 3,800 households and businesses will benefit from the upgraded connectivity, which is expected to be available to locals in North Sanday, Rousay, Jura, the Angus Glens, Ettrick Valley, Skye and Wester Ross by May 2009.

Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said: "In this 21st Century, as many people as possible should have broadband access. It is a vital tool for business, helping drive economic growth, and is now used by ever more households as standard."

Recent research by Thinkbroadband.com indicates that London users can surf the web at an average speed of 4.5 Mbps, far higher than the Scottish figure of 2.9 Mbps.