West Lothian broadband speeds boosted

The Broxburn, Livingston Bridge and Linlithgow exchanges will be upgraded as part of BT's pioneering 21st Century Network (21CN) to allow the new high speed services by spring next year. Bathgate and Livingston Station exchanges have already had the upgrade installed.

This will mean 66% of homes and 74% of businesses in West Lothian will have been upgraded compared to 56% nationally.

The investment more than doubles the maximum speeds previously available to the majority of homes and businesses. The faster speeds are delivered over copper lines and are available through all Broadband suppliers operating from each exchange.

BT Scotland director Brendan Dick said: "This latest major investment in next generation broadband represents a huge BT vote of confidence in the future of Scotland. It will help ensure that businesses and households are in a strong position to thrive. Faster broadband can help businesses become more competitive and greatly improve the on-line services available to households."

Additionally, BT is rolling-out super-fast fibre-based broadband in the UK, initially offering download speeds of up to 40 Mbps - with even faster speeds being possible if the fibre goes direct to the home or business.

All 14 exchanges in West Lothian currently offer ADSL Max broadband of up to 8Mbps depending on distance from the exchange and most households in West Lothian can now access broadband services.

The new FTTC programme will particularly help those households located more than 1.5 km from the exchange, improving their available broadband speeds dramatically.

For more information about how your business can take advantage of digital opportunities contact Laura Jull, Business Gateway West Lothian's E-Business Adviser on 01506 777925 or email laura.jull@westlothian.gov.uk.