Super-fast broadband rolled out in D&G
The market town of Castle Douglas, in Dumfries and Galloway, is set to benefit from super-fast broadband as part of the next stage of the roll-out by Digital Scotland.
Nearly 8,000 homes and businesses in the south of Scotland will be upgraded by the summer.
Lucy Carlow has owned 'Designs' cafe and gallery in Castle Douglas for the past 18 years and says that superfast broadband will help improve service for the customers:
"With the café I think it makes a difference for people coming in and using as a business, you know having business meetings. They say in the café they have a lot of people coming in from estate agents when they're house-hunting, all of that kind of thing that would make a difference I think. And certainly for business generally in a rural area, it would make a big difference."
The scheme is part of the £410 million pound Digital Scotland initiative. Quicker connection should mean people working from home will also notice a big difference and it's hoped that superfast speeds will help boost Scotland's economy.
It was also good news for the Scottish Borders, as more than 5,000 premises in Selkirk, Melrose and Galashiels there are set to benefit from the higher quality service.
However, there are still areas without basic broadband and some local businesses aren't happy. Niki Proudlock runs Mabie House Hotel, three miles outside of Dumfries.
She says that the lack of broadband is affecting her business and could be losing her potential customers:
"So i'll go through to the desk to respond to all of the emails that I've got during the night and sometimes you go on to send them and they won't send. Maybe you have to wait until lunchtime or teatime because there's no connection, and people are waiting for a response immediately, for example if they want a room or they want to enquire about a wedding, so it's very frustrating that they're waiting and i cant send to them."
More locations are to be named every quarter, untll the full roll-out is complete in 2020.