Digital Scotland extends superfast broadband to 1,400 homes

Digital Scotland's Superfast Broadband partnership has extended its reach by almost 1,500 homes, adding 80Mbps services to the areas of Bearsden and Bishopbriggs.

BT's Openreach arm will be further extending the network across Scotland as part of the 410m investment to get more of Scotland connected to superfast broadband services.

Councillor Alan Moir, the local council's development and regeneration convener, said: "It's great news for the area that superfast broadband coverage is starting to reach more residents and businesses in our communities.

"We recognise how important this infrastructure is to our local economy and the opportunities it can provide for the people who live and work here. We look forward to more businesses being able to take advantage of it," he added.

The news comes after BT Openreach announced work had been completed under the sea to connect some of the remotest parts of the country. The subsea telecoms project involved installing 250 miles of fibre optic cabling across 20 seabed crossings.

Scotland's deputy first minister John Swinney said: "In the coming months, thanks to the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme, many island communities will start to benefit from fibre broadband that otherwise would not have received coverage.

"Local people will have access to fibre broadband speeds of up to 80mbps, around 10 times faster than the current top speeds available on most Scottish islands, many of which are currently connected by radio links."

The Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband initiative will work on connecting the subsea network together, with a switch-on due to happen early in 2015.

Those who want to make use of Digital Scotland's Superfast Broadband rollout can sign up via a range of different service providers. Those in areas covered by the networks will shortly be getting postcards posted through their letterbox with information about how to get connected.