Local MP David Mundell has welcomed the UK Government’s decision to allocate an additional £32 million worth of funding for superfast broadband in Scotland. Mr Mundell, who has long campaigned for better broadband provision locally, believes that broadband is vital in rural areas such as Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweedale in order to attract new businesses, enable existing businesses to grow and compete, and to improve everyday life for local residents. This funding is in addition to £68.8 million that has already been allocated toScotlandfor investment in its broadband network, taking the total to over £100 million. This spending forms part of the Governments commitment to deliver the best superfast broadband network in Europe by 2015, with 90 per cent of theUKreceiving superfast broadband, and everyone else to have access to standard broadband with a speed of at least 2Mbps. The extra money has been made available to cover the additional cost of getting rural areas up to speed and will hopefully benefit more remote communities in the DCT constituency.
Mr Mundell commented:
“This money is a welcome boost for local businesses and people who depend upon the internet in our rural area. This extra investment has the potential to help develop the infrastructure in rural communities locally allowing them and their businesses to grow and compete in the digital age. ”
He added:
“This is good news for communities who have put up with poor internet connectivity for too long . I will continue to campaign alongside the residents to ensure they are not forgotten and that communities in our region benefit from these funds.”