Aberdeen is set to become a beacon of digital transformation in Scotland as CityFibre invests at least £40m into a state-of-the-art full-fibre broadband network. The real significance of the project will be felt for many years to come and it should give residents and businesses great confidence about what the future holds.
As a Council we have been clear that we are committed to digital transformation, not just for us as an organisation but for the city as a whole. Gigabit-capable full fibre broadband network under the Vodafone and CityFibre Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) programme is a crucial step towards delivering on that commitment.
In announcing the investment, CityFibre was clear that Aberdeen was chosen because of our emergent technology sector, Aberdeen City Council’s commitment to ‘smart city’ initiatives and the strength of our support for the project as a local authority.
The experience of their first venture into the area gave them that confidence, with £2m of funding in the initial connectivity to key parts of the city as part of the digital infrastructure strategy of the Aberdeen City Region Deal underlining the progressive approach.
We all saw the headlines and the reports earlier in the week, but it’s important to recognise the enormous amount of hard work that went in behind the scenes over a long period of time to bring this project to fruition. All those involved – from CityFibre, Vodafone, Aberdeen City Council and our City Region Deal partners – deserve great credit for their diligence and determination to drive this forward. My thanks go to everyone who played their part.
I’ve no doubt gigabit connectivity will change lives for individuals and families as well as providing businesses with vast opportunities and opening up new ways of working.
Our ambitions to enhance Aberdeen’s standing on the global stage city are clear and we are in the process of writing an exciting chapter in the story of the city.
The future prosperity and success of the regional economy relies on internationalisation and to fully embrace the opportunities we have identified it is crucial that the digital infrastructure serving Aberdeen matches the bank of world class knowledge and expertise we are building upon.
This announcement demonstrates that we mean business when it comes to fostering a digital future. Like so many who live and work in Aberdeen, I’m eagerly awaiting the roll-out.