The Highland Council welcomes superfast broadband roll out in Highlands and Islands.

The Highland Council has warmly welcomed news that the UK Government has agreed to fund the delivery of superfast broadband in the Highlands and Islands.

Councillor Ian Ross, Chairman of the Planning Environment and Development Committee, said: “This has the potential to be a transformational project for the area enabling economic growth and social inclusion. It will aid the delivery of public services through increased web access and also help companies to grow their sales base and improve productivity across all sectors of the economy. It has been estimated that the project will deliver over £70m of additional economic output per annum for the region.

 “This is excellent news for the area and reflects the culmination of close working between the local authorities and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The Highland Council views broadband availability as critical to sustainable economic growth in the region and has been working hard to make the case for investment. Today’s announcement is only a start, however, and we are keen to maintain the momentum to build as close to 100% superfast broadband coverage for the area as is possible.”