The MSP for Falkirk East Angus MacDonald has hailed the introduction of fibre optic broadband as "vital" for local economies.

His comments came following the installation of the high-speed service in the town of Bo'ness, which is part of his constituency.

The project, which is being implemented by BT, has brought fibre broadband to 4,200 homes and businesses - with this figure set to increase to 6,200 once the local upgrade has been completed.

Mr MacDonald stressed how important the move was in terms of preventing the economies of rural areas falling behind those that have already been connected to superfast broadband for some time.

He said: "Broadband is an essential part of our area's present and future. It's vital that we embrace this latest generation of technology in order for our local economy to remain competitive."

The new superfast connection in Bo'ness is part of a £2.5 billion rollout by BT, which aims to bring fibre optic broadband to nearly 50,000 homes and businesses in the Falkirk area by the end of spring 2014.

Add a comment

Comment

Your name

Your e-mail address

Comments (0)