Fibre broadband welcomed by Cumbernauld councillors

BT's plans to bring fibre optic broadband to the Scottish town of Cumbernauld have been praised by local council chiefs.

The telecoms giant's up to 40Mbps fibre-to-the-cabinet service will be rolled out to the North Lanarkshire community next year at the latest, as part of the company's plans to deploy the technology to two-thirds of the UK.

Speaking to Cumbernauld News, councillor Barry McCulloch said fibre broadband will provide a boost to the local economy and will also be appreciated by youngsters who are keen on social networking and other online applications.

"Many companies rely on broadband to keep up with the markets and customers, and if this leads to more employment opportunities then this is something everyone should welcome," he added.

In total, 71,000 homes and businesses in Scotland are set to benefit from BT's latest programme of fibre optic broadband rollouts, with other locations including Nairn, Inverkeithing and Glasgow also featuring in the plans.