Stonehaven Councillor Welcomes Full Fibre Project's Completion

Stonehaven and Lower Deeside SNP councillor Dawn Black has welcomed the completion of a major project funded by the Aberdeen City Region Deal to bring gigabit fibre connectivity to Stonehaven.

The Full Fibre project was approved in 2018, and it was put in place to connect as many as 190+ corporate sites in the City Region Deal area to better, faster gigabit fibre technology. The investment was in dark fibre connectivity with gigabit speed capacity. With construction now complete, the focus is now on commercialising the network so operators can provide fibre to the premises services to residents and businesses within the region.

Increasing the availability of this network, which stretches for some 275km and links six major locations (Aberdeen, Westhill, Stonehaven, Banchory, Inverurie and Ellon), connects 193 public sector buildings across local authorities and parts of the NHS estate, and is within reach of 44,000 homes and 1,700 business premises.

The investment of £11.5m will open up opportunities for residents, businesses, and internet providers to help further strengthen the region's connectivity.

Commenting on the completion of the project, which was part-funded by the Scottish Government, Cllr Dawn Black said:

“I am very pleased to see the completion of the Full Fibre infrastructure project, which will give more residents, organisations, and businesses super-fast connectivity to enable them to connect and operate more efficiently and effectively in the years to come.”

Scottish Government Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray MSP said:

“This project has connected hundreds of public sector sites to gigabit-capable, future-proofed digital connectivity and has enabled thousands of homes and businesses to access faster broadband.

“The Scottish Government’s £5 million investment in improving the Aberdeen City region’s digital infrastructure is vital to its long-term economic future, making it a more attractive place to live and work. This will help create and grow businesses, attract business finance and enhance public services.”

The Aberdeen City Region Deal is the agreement between the UK Government and the Scottish Government with Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Opportunity North East (ONE) as one delivery mechanism for the Region’s economic vision, which focuses on transformational investment supporting the evolution of the region's key sectors, sustainable business growth and creating green jobs for the future. The Deal stimulates diversification of the economy into new areas of activity and markets through programme areas of Innovation; Digital; Transport; and Inclusive Economic Growth.