Edinburgh unveils revised £10m broadband strategy

Wednesday, June 19th 2013
Plans to boost broadband provision in Edinburgh have been unveiled by the city council.
Edinburgh unveils revised £10m broadband strategy
Edinburgh council chiefs have unveiled a revised £10 million plan to improve broadband provision across the city and boost IT skills.

Under the proposals, Wi-Fi services will be rolled out to buses, trains and public spaces like museums, libraries and galleries, reports the Scotsman. Furthermore, small businesses will be given support to access broadband connections and a new festivals archive will be created.

The plan originally intended to deliver 90 per cent super-fast broadband coverage for residents and businesses in the Scottish capital, but this strategy had to be scrapped amid fears that it breached European anti-competition guidelines.

EU rules state that public money should not be used to support broadband rollouts in urban areas where such deployments are already commercially viable.

City Finance Convener Alasdair Rankin commented: "We have submitted a proposal that takes account of the state aid objections. 

"We intend to spend [the money] in a way that achieves the maximum benefit to Edinburgh's economy, its residents and visitors."

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