RossThomson, Scottish Conservative member for Hazlehead/Ashley/Queen’s Cross, today joined Maria Miller MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to launch the multi-million pound broadband funding voucher scheme as part of the Accelerate Aberdeen programme at Aberdeen Town House.
Conservatives in Aberdeen City Council working with the Conservative led UK Government secured £5.58m of Super Connected Cities funding for Aberdeen which is additional to the £100m broadband infrastructure investment being made in Scotland by the UK Government. £4.28m is being spent on vouchers for SME’s to pay for one off connection to upgrade their broadband speeds.
Thanks to Conservative actions hugely improved broadband speeds and 4G wifi coverage are now firmly on the cards for Aberdeen which will be of real benefit to individuals, families, secure jobs and attract new business investment.
Councillor Ross Thomson said:
Superfast broadband speeds and 4G wifi coverage will be of huge benefit to companies, individuals, families, health services and education services. The Accelerate Aberdeen was established to ensure the city benefits from world class infrastructure and it will make a significant difference to the lives of residents and businesses right across the City."
Aberdeen is the powerhouse of the UK economy and we urgently need the introduction of superfast broadband which will put the city in a strong position to compete globally and to attract international business investment and people with skills from across the world to the city."
The nature of Aberdeen means it is important that you can do business anywhere in the city at any time. The biannual Offshore Europe Conference being a prime example of where better connectivity is essential into improving, encouraging and growing business within the city. The UK Government recognises this and are helping to ensure Aberdeen has first class connectivity. This further highlights the benefits of Aberdeen being part of a strong United Kingdom as it represents yet another example of the Union dividend."
High speed broadband will ensure Aberdeen remains competitive on the global stage, it will ensure business growth and it will bring a noticeable difference to communities across Aberdeen."