Aberdeen is set to lead Scotland in terms of broadband, with CityFibre announcing plans to extend its superfast services to the city’s public sector. According to the Aberdeen Evening Express, Aberdeen’s Royal Infirmary and council services could be among the first sites to benefit from the ‘gigabit’ connections.

The news comes after the Aberdeen was also named as one of the first areas in the UK to enjoy a fibre-to-the-premises broadband trial. FTTP is only currently available to around 2% of buildings in the UK, and these schemes form part of a £200 million venture from Openreach and the UK Government to help the service take root in strategic points across the country.

Now, CityFibre too will extend its superfast offering to Aberdeen, delivering its ‘Gigabit City‘ scheme to over 57 more public sector institutions in the city, including Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, schools in Cove and Torry, council buildings, libraries, and community centres. When complete, the ‘full-fibre’ cable infrastructure will cover Aberdeen with more than 60 miles of cabling and connect 166 public sector buildings.

The Gigabit City project, launched by CityFibre, aims to secure institutions’ connectivity needs for, ‘decades to come’. Aberdeen became Scotland’s first Gigabit City in March 2015, after the current network that spans 50 miles was completed.

James McClafferty, Head of Regional Development in Scotland at CityFibre, said: “Helping Aberdeen take hold of its digital future has been a truly collaborative process from the very beginning.

“This second phase of our strategic partnership with Capita (an IT firm which has helped roll out infrastructure in the past) and Aberdeen City Council will bring next-generation digital connectivity to even more of the city’s public sites and organisations as our network expands.”

Councillor Douglas Lumsden, Co-Leader of Aberdeen City Council, added: “By partnering with CityFibre, we have positioned Aberdeen as one of the best-connected cities with some of the best digitally-equipped public services in the country.

“As well as revolutionising our technology systems and services, CityFibre’s ongoing investment has already helped attract top talent and continued investment at a critical time for the city. Having already experienced the benefits of gigabit speed connectivity in schools, libraries and our own council offices, we are excited by the prospect of having even more digital capability as a result of the expansion.

“We have no doubt the news will be well-received by our public and private sector communities alike.”