Up to £40 million is to be invested to make Aberdeen the first ultra-fast fibre broadband city in Scotland.

The Vodafone and CityFibre Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) programme will install a new Gigabit-capable full fibre broadband network throughout Aberdeen, providing customers with broadband services capable of speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.

Currently, only 3% of UK premises have access to this level of connectivity. Previously, the council signed a deal with CityFibre to invest £2m of funding in the first wave of infrastructure connectivity to key parts of the city as part of the digital infrastructure strategy of the Aberdeen City Region Deal.

Council Co-Leader Douglas Lumsden said the announcement represents a "significant step forward" towards delivering connectivity for residents and businesses.

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"Aberdeen City Council is determined to lead from the front in digital transformation and enhance the city's standing on the global stage," he said.

"The collaboration with CityFibre and Vodafone is a wonderful example of our partnership approach in action – where the financial commitment we have made through the Aberdeen City Region Deal will leverage £40million of private investment in our city's infrastructure."

Vodafone UK Chief Executive Nick Jeffery said: "Our Gigabit broadband services, delivered over CityFibre's new full fibre networks, will help Aberdeen build on its credentials in innovation and as one of the best places to start a business. It will also transform consumers' daily lives through superior Internet access."

Greg Mesch, Chief Executive at CityFibre said: "Our commitment to Aberdeen is further evidence of the action CityFibre is taking to deliver Britain's full fibre future. Our existing network in Aberdeen provides us with an eighteen-month head-start on a full fibre roll-out to nearly every home and business in the city."

Construction of the new FTTP network is scheduled to begin in July.

Image: Councillor Douglas Lumsden, Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary, Rob Hamlin, CityFibre and Guilhem Poussot (Vodafone).

(LM)