Some of North-east Scotland’s rural towns and villages can now enjoy the same world-class connectivity as Scotland’s major cities, as independent broadband builder and provider GoFibre confirms its first properties are now ready for service as part of its latest UK government-funded build in Angus, Perth & Kinross and Aberdeenshire.
Families, farmers and local businesses in Ezdell, Inverbervie and Longforgan are among the first to be connected, with additional premises in Auchenblae and Letham expected to go live in later this month (May). The rollout will help communities stay connected through the summer and beyond, as demand for reliable, lightning-fast full fibre broadband continues to grow.
Alongside improved digital infrastructure, the rollout is delivering wider economic benefit, creating 30 direct construction roles and supporting up to 180 jobs across the lifetime of the rollout, including subcontracted work.
Once live, the network will deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps – fast enough to stream the World Cup without buffering, keep farms connected during peak harvest and help local businesses handle increased summer demand.
The build is being delivered as part of a major government contract to improve connectivity in underserved areas. In 2025 GoFibre was chosen as the supplier to deliver full fibre broadband to around 63,000 hard-to-reach premises across North East Scotland as part of joint efforts by the UK and Scottish governments to supercharge internet access in mainly rural areas.
Project Gigabit is the UK Government’s programme to enable hard-to-reach communities to access lightning-fast gigabit-capable broadband. The Scottish Government is managing delivery of the programme in Scotland.
GoFibre will be adding additional premises to the build on a commercial basis, with no public subsidy, meaning at least 100,000 premises across the North-east will be added to its full fibre network.
This milestone builds on GoFibre’s strong momentum as Scotland’s fastest-growing broadband provider, extending its existing footprint of around 15,300 premises in Angus (including Montrose, Forfar and Kirriemuir) and 9,600 premises in Aberdeenshire (including Laurencekirk, Stonehaven and Newtonhill).
UK Telecoms Minister, Liz Lloyd, said: “Whether it’s keeping up with Scotland at the World Cup, managing the day‑to‑day on the farm, or growing a business, faster broadband can make life easier in so many ways.”
“Through Project Gigabit, UK government funding is bringing fast, reliable broadband to some of the hardest-to-reach parts of Scotland. That means stronger local businesses, more jobs for rural economies and better-connected communities.”
Neil Conaghan, CEO of GoFibre, said: “It’s a really proud moment for us to see the first homes and businesses go live from our latest build phase in the North East.
“These are places that have too often had to put up with slower, less reliable connections. Full fibre changes that by levelling the playing field, helping local communities to stay connected and local businesses to stay competitive.
“We’re focused on making sure rural and underserved communities can access the same quality of broadband you’d expect in Scotland’s cities, and we’ll keep building at pace as we expand across the region and invest in communities.”
GoFibre is also proud to be strengthening its ties with local communities through a new sponsorship of Longforgan Bowling Club, a valued grassroots sports club in one of the newly connected towns. The partnership will provide new competition jackets for players and see GoFibre become a named sponsor for the 2026–2028 seasons.
Jim Cameron, Chair of Longforgan Bowling Club, said: “I’m looking forward to the arrival of full fibre broadband, powered by our new partners at GoFibre, as marking a significant ‘toucher’ for the club. This isn’t just about faster internet, it’s about ensuring our club remains a vibrant, modern hub for the entire community of Longforgan.
“With full fibre, we are heading towards a reliable, high-speed connection, and in the near future, family and friends who can't make it to the green may be able to watch key tournaments in high definition from anywhere in the world.
“Thanks to GoFibre, we aren't just playing a centuries-old game; we’re bringing it into the 21st century with the speed and reliability our members deserve.”
Over 500 properties in Longforgan will have the opportunity to connect to the GoFibre network as part of the build programme.
Across the wider North-east build, thousands of premises across Perth & Kinross, Angus, Dundee, Aberdeenshire, Aberdeen City, Moray and Highland will be added to the GoFibre network, with more than 100,000 new premises in total planned across the region as rollout continues.
Residents and businesses are encouraged to register their interest now to be the first to connect when services become available. To check availability and register for updates, please visit: www.gofibre.co.uk