Openreach network passes one million homes in Scotland

One million homes and businesses in Scotland can now access Openreach’s fibre network following a project to address 110,000 homes and businesses across Aberdeen city and shire.

Openreach has used the city’s old cable TV network to address 70,000 city households and 40,000  businesses in Aberdeenshire, in places like Ellon, Kintore and Newmachar.

Aberdeen’s Ashgrove and Balgownie areas, alongside Inverurie and Stonehaven, have some of the highest levels of coverage, while the rollout is expected to reach more properties in Fraserburgh, Peterhead, Portlethen and Alford in the next few months.

Openreach has invested more than £33.5m in the local fibre network so far, and is working with the Scottish and UK Governments, through the Reaching 100% programme and voucher schemes, to upgrade some of the area’s hardest-to-reach places.

Robert Thorburn, Openreach Partnership Director for Scotland, said: “We try to be innovative in our build, so it was brilliant to be able to ‘rewire’ Aberdeen’s old cable TV network with the latest fibre optics, using underground cameras to identify routes into thousands of city homes.”

The Scottish Government’s Innovation Minister Richard Lochhead said: “This is an important milestone in the drive to ensure more homes and businesses across Scotland benefit from full fibre broadband, improving vital connectivity.”