BT has announced it is accelerating the rollout of its superfast broadband service in Glasgow, making the Scottish city the first location to receive next generation Internet access.
The new service was due to go live in early next year, but BT has brought the date forward to this autumn. Around 15,000 homes and businesses in the Hillington, Cardonald and Crookston areas will benefit from the new broadband rollout.
Originally, Muswell Hill in North London was to be the first area to benefit from BT’s new infrastructure but residents there objected to the two-metre high junction boxes that were built around the area to house the technology. They successfully convinced Haringey Council to block the scheme.
BT Openreach – charged with installing and maintaining the network – will build an extra 56 junction boxes and install around 30 miles of fibre to connect homes and businesses to the net in Glasgow.
“With many businesses reliant on being able to send, receive and manage huge quantities of data and information on a daily basis a robust and modern communications infrastructure is an essential component to the city’s economic success and competitiveness,” said Steven Purcell, Leader of Glasgow City Council.
Bob Downes, BT Openreach director for Scotland, said: The race to get super-fast broadband into Glasgow is well and truly under way. The accelerator is flat to the floor.
BT’s superfast broadband network will cost an estimated £1.5bn and aims to provide next generation Internet access to around half of the UK’s homes by 2012.
