Broadband now available for all

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd Jun 2004

Local MP John Thurso has given a warm welcome to the announcement this week by the Scottish Executive that public funding will be available to help deliver broadband to the more remote and rural areas.

Last month BT announced that all exchanges on their trigger list will be ADSL enabled by the summer of 2005 but some 30 exchanges within Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross are not on that trigger list. The Executive will now be putting the procurement contract for this initiative to tender and has set a target date for full broadband access by the end of 2005.

John Thurso said:

"I have always believed that broadband helped rural areas compete on equal terms. Since I entered Parliament in 2001 I have sought to persuade both the DTI and Scottish Executive that it would be a sound investment for Government to enable rollout in those areas not otherwise reached by commercial operators.

I am delighted that the Enterprise Minister has taken this progressive decision which will mean that every community will soon be able to compete internationally in the world in IT Skills."