Mark Griffin MSP hails Cumbernauld fibre broadband plans

Central Scotland MSP Mark Griffin has praised BT's fibre optic broadband rollout plans, which will see the technology delivered to thousands more Cumbernauld properties.

Some 16,670 homes and businesses in the town will be connected to super-fast broadband by March 2012 as part of the company's £2.5 billion plan to bring the technology to two-thirds of UK properties by the end of 2014.

Speaking to STV, Mr Griffin - a vocal campaigner for better internet services in Cumbernauld - said he is "delighted" with the investment and insisted it is "ridiculous" that a town of its size should be hampered by slow broadband.

"I have been given assurances that the 40 new street cabinets will ensure the majority of people in the area benefit from greater speeds and quality," he added.

Next year, the telecoms giant will boost the fibre broadband speeds available to more than 200,000 Scottish homes and businesses to 80Mbps, double the current maximum download rate of its fibre-to-the-cabinet service.