Call for super-fast broadband in Highlands

The Highlands of Scotland should be one of the first areas to benefit from the new super-fast fibre broadband roll-out by BT, according to an MP.

Former Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy, MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, told the Press and Journal that the Scottish government should make sure Highland communities "are at the front, and not the back, of the queue when the network is being renewed".

He was visiting a website design company on the Black Isle, Plexus Media, talking about the difficulties the business would face in the economic downturn.

Businesses and households in the area would benefit greatly from the technology, Mr Kennedy believed.

"The biggest difference could be made to people in the Highlands where connection speeds are often frustratingly slow for businesses and homes compared to the advertised rates," he told the newspaper.

"Investment in infrastructure is a vital stimulus for economic recovery."

In June, the Scottish government announced it had awarded a contract to Avanti Caledonian Broadband to provide extra, affordable broadband throughout the country.

The contract, worth up to £3.3 million, would provide access to 3,800 locations in "out-of-reach" areas.