Residents in Innerleithen & District in the Scottish Borders were celebrating this week as BT announced that the first homes and businesses in the area can now order super-fast fibre broadband.
More than 2,000 local householders and firms are poised to join the high-speed revolution as engineers from BT's local network business, Openreach, complete the local upgrade.
The Borders town and surrounding villages are one of 10 communities in the UK to secure super-fast broadband following BT's hugely popular "Race to Infinity" competition, which saw more than 360,000 people across the UK vote in the three-month long survey.
Innerleithen's win has catapulted it to one of the top areas in the UK for fibre broadband coverage - enjoying very high coverage with a mix of fibre to the premises (FTTP) and fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) technologies. Almost every home and business served by the local exchange is expected to see faster broadband speeds, with more than 96% able to order BT Infinity - BT Retail's super-fast broadband service.
Commenting on the town's victory, Tweeddale MP David Mundell, who backed the campaign for better broadband coverage in the area, said: "This latest BT investment is very good news for Innerleithen, particularly in these economically challenging times. Super-fast broadband will create new opportunities for everyone in the town, giving our businesses a competitive edge as well as opening new doors for people of every age and background. It has the power to transform every aspect of rural life, including lifelong learning, healthcare and social benefits. I am delighted to join in the celebrations and can see first-hand what a boost this has given the community."