The Highlands and Islands are leading the rest of the UK in rapidly adopting high-speed broadband technology.
Figures released today by BT Wholesale show that more than half the homes and businesses in Shetland, Moray and Highland are now taking advantage of the super fast technology. And no fewer than nine of the top ten broadband take up areas in the UK are in Scotland, the only exception being the Scilly Isles that occupies the number five slot.
Shetland is setting the hottest pace with a take up rate of 57.3 per cent, just ahead of Aberdeenshire on 56.6 per cent. Moray has surfed to third spot on 54 per cent, followed by Highland on 52.4 per cent and the Scilly Isles on 50.4 per cent.
The Borders and Orkney tie for sixth place on exactly 50 per cent and are poised to become the fifth and sixth Scottish local authority areas where the majority of homes and businesses now have broadband. Argyll and Bute and the Outer Hebrides are not far behind, with take up rates of 49.0 and 48.9 per cent respectively.
Brendan Dick, BT Scotland director, said: “The fact that the majority of households and businesses in Shetland, Aberdeenshire, Moray and Highland are now benefiting from ADSL broadband shows just how vital the technology is to the more remote and rural parts of Scotland. And it’s great to see that the Borders and Orkney are just a few broadband orders short of joining them!
“Broadband is providing a major economic boost for our rural communities as it shrinks distance from markets and opens up new opportunities for smaller businesses who can compete on a more equal footing with much larger companies.
“It’s also giving people greater freedom to work more flexibly and work from their homes. I’m encouraged that employers are introducing more flexible work practices and recognising that working from home can reduce carbon footprints and help make their companies more sustainable.”
BT Wholesale has more than 850,000 ADSL broadband connections in Scotland and more than 8.5 million across the UK, having smashed its initial target of five million connections by the end of 2006.
Meanwhile, the average local authority area take up rate in Scotland has now reached 33.4 per cent, well ahead of the UK average of 30 per cent.
Top ten local authority take up (per cent)
1 Shetland 57.3
2 Aberdeenshire 56.6
3 Moray 54.0
4 Highland 52.4
5 Scilly Isles 50.4
6= Borders 50.0
6= Orkney 50.0
8 Argyll and Bute 49.0
9 Western Isles 48.9
10 Aberdeen 48.2
