A new deal worth up to £150 million aims to accelerate access to gigabit-capable fibre broadband across North Lanarkshire.

The move, approved by North Lanarkshire Council, could see the money spent as part of a 15-year deal with Commsworld to transform North Lanarkshire Council’s digital infrastructure.

By developing gigabit-capable fibre broadband, it will provide download speeds up to one gigabit-per-second for communities and businesses across the region.

The deal will ensure significantly improved access to high-quality, reliable fibre connections, making a real and transformative difference to investment opportunities for businesses while also tackling digital exclusion.

It will also boost school internet access and create a free public WiFi network across town centres and community facilities. This includes council and public buildings, sport and leisure facilities, culture venues, libraries, country parks, sheltered housing, schools and homelessness accommodation.

The framework agreement for Digital Connectivity Services will also help close the digital divide by reaching private and council owned social housing and residential households that are not currently served by existing networks.

In addition, every one of the council’s 155 schools will benefit from a significant uplift in internet connectivity with a minimum 1GB connection for primary schools – twenty times the current capacity – and secondary schools increasing to a resilient 5GB, helping enable digital learning through faster download speeds.

Councillor Kenneth Duffy, the convener of the council’s Transformation and Digitisation Committee, said: “The potential impact of these plans cannot be underestimated as this contract has brought forward and increased the availability and choice of fibre broadband to towns, communities, businesses and rural areas across North Lanarkshire, massively improving their digital connectivity and delivering a GVA of around £1.3bn over 15 years.”

The North Lanarkshire gigabit broadband deal will also bring an additional digital fibre provider to the region, increasing competition. Plans could be developed to offer vastly reduced rates for gigabit-capable fibre broadband to council tenants, residents and businesses.

Councillor Duffy added: “We know from talking with people in communities that digital exclusion is a real concern. Equality of access is crucial to improving the lives of people living here and we’re starting right here by providing a network of free public WiFi across our own public buildings, town centres, schools, leisure centres, venues, sheltered housing and homelessness facilities.

“This means that anyone can have access to one of the fastest internet connections available from these locations, supporting a range of individual and business needs such as faster upload and download speeds, higher quality video and audio streaming and the ability to support more devices simultaneously at home.”

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Chair of Commsworld John Trower added: “Commsworld is looking forward to working with North Lanarkshire Council to bring rapid and thorough transformation to their digital infrastructure. This transformation will provide opportunities to regenerate every one of its town centres, schools and council buildings.

“Commsworld has a track record of delivering massively enhanced infrastructure to local authorities in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Renfrewshire and the Scottish Borders.

“We have been able to provide a step change in connectivity and resiliency in all these areas, changes that have delivered considerable benefits to everyone living, learning and working there. We look forward to being able to do the same in North Lanarkshire.”

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