Town wins fibre optic broadband

A TOWN in the Scottish Borders will be one of the first places inthe UK to experience fibre optic broadband, it emerged yesterday.

Innerleithen was named as one of six areas winning BT's Race toInfinity competition in which communities voted to be one of thenext upgraded to superfast broadband.

More than 360,000 votes were cast across the UK in the survey.

The fibre optic broadband can deliver download speeds of up to40Mb and upload speeds of up to 10Mb and is expected to be enabledby early 2012.

David Mundell, Conservative MP for Tweeddale, welcomed theintroduction of "world class broadband services" to Innerleithen,Cardrona, Traquair and Glen.

He said: "This will mean better internet services for localbusinesses, youngsters in education and anybody using the web forshopping, social and domestic purposes."