BT Scotland chief praises Scottish fibre broadband plans

The Scottish government's plan to boost fibre optic broadband connectivity over the coming years has been welcomed by BT Scotland director Brendan Dick.

Last week, the SNP promised all Scottish homes and businesses will be able to enjoy the benefits of faster broadband by 2015, with 85 to 90 per cent of properties set to gain access to speeds of between 40 and 80Mbps.

In a column for the Scotsman, Mr Dick described the proposal as "great news" for the country and said many everyday activities are reliant on the internet.

Over the last five years, internet traffic has risen sevenfold and bandwidth usage suggests the technology is "rivalling the airwaves" as an entertainment platform, the BT chief claimed.

"Businesses arguably have even more to gain from faster services," he added. "In the current financial climate they need every tool in the box, including an IT infrastructure that helps them to compete."

Later this year, the Scottish town of Innerleithen is set to be connected to BT's ultra-fast fibre optic broadband service, which currently offers speeds of up to 100Mbps.