BT announces fibre broadband upgrade for West Lothian

BT is set to bring fibre optic broadband to another 2,000 properties in three West Lothian communities that have already benefited from the telecoms giant's commercial rollout.

Engineers are due to complete the upgrades by the end of spring 2014 in a move that will take the number of local homes and businesses with access to the service to more than 48,000.

Across the UK as a whole, over 13 million premises have already been passed by BT's fibre broadband network, which is expanding at a rate of 100,000 properties per week.

The network is available on an open, wholesale basis, which means rival communications providers can use the infrastructure to offer their own next-generation broadband services.

Brendan Dick, director of BT Scotland, said high-speed digital connectivity is critical to the long-term success of West Lothian.

"Anything you can think of doing online, you can do better with fibre broadband. It is a vital part of households and businesses making the most of the amazing opportunities increasingly offered by the internet," he added.