BT Group yesterday said that complete broadband coverage in every community in Scotland, and most of the rest of the UK, was achievable by 2005 – if industry and government worked together. According to BT, about 65% of Scottish households already have access to high-speed internet – with that figure expected to climb to 70% by the early part of next year. Ben Verwaayen, BT chief executive, is quoted in today’s Herald as acknowledging that BT's traditional phone business is in long-term decline, and so it has invested heavily in broadband. He said yesterday: "One hundred percent broadband availability must be the goal, because of business demand for ICT (information and communications technology), the imperative to share knowledge and information quickly and the need to create a genuine knowledge economy." BT said it was extending its demand registration scheme by setting triggers for 430 more exchanges throughout Scotland, including Cockburnspath. The 430 exchanges in Scotland serve 407,000 homes and businesses, the group said. When all these are enabled, 97.7% of homes and businesses in Scotland will be connected to broadband exchanges, the group added. The UK has lagged the rest of the developed world in broadband for years, with Scotland being behind other areas of the UK. However, BT said if companies and the government threw their weight behind getting faster access to less populated areas, it should be able to make the numbers work in justifying their upgrade to broadband technology. The group said it hoped that setting out a clear and achievable goal for the industry would "energise the market". This is an extremely significant initiative for Cockburnspath, which will add value to our homes, as it makes it possible to more effectively run a self-employed business from your home, but moreover will make the internet more fun, and more flexible for every day use and will allow individuals to have always on e-mail for homeworking / home business uses. At long last, the days of photographs and data files taking over an hour to download may be a thing of the past. Previously BT had said there were no plans to upgrade Cockburnspath as we would have needed over 300 customers to register and we were trying to investigate a satellite alternative, which would not have been as reliable. Please help make it happen and be part of the revolution! Make sure everyone who you think might be interested knows they need to register and let us get a century on that score board! Source: The Herald 18th November 2003, adapted by Paul Wheelhouse using BT data See link below to check availability / register your Cockbrunspath exchange home or business number with BT broadband (or other Internet Service providers).

Link to more information (1)