Half of Scottish residents have fibre, says research

New economic research by Cebr shows Openreach’s digital upgrade could generate £4bn for Scottish economy by 2029 and help reverse depopulation, with half of Scottish residents now able to connect to broadband – thanks to £435m investment in the nation’s new network.

The company investment in fibre for Scotland means 1.45 million properties are now able to upgrade and take-up is at 38 per cent, ahead of the UK average.

Around 30 per cent of the new fibre footprint is in rural areas, with around 100,000 of properties upgraded through Openreach work with the Scottish Government and other public sector partners. Tiree, Iona and Mull are among the latest areas to be connected through the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% rollout.

Cebr economists said it could attract an extra 27,399 new residents to Scotland, mostly in lower-density regions, and bring about an increase of 17,809 home-based workers.

The network now reaches over 64,000 Scottish business premises including education establishments; hospitals; GP and dental practices; care and nursing homes; and church and village halls.

Katie Milligan, Openreach Chief Commercial Officer and Chair of its Scotland Board, said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is a game-changer, fuels economic growth and can support the redistribution of economic activity to less populated areas.

“This is one of the most significant infrastructure upgrades Scotland will see this century. We’re paving the way to future job creation, remote work, digital learning, and healthcare access.”