Construction work has begun to deliver full fibre connectivity across Aberdeen.

The work is part of the CityFibre's £40 million private investment to deliver full fibre connectivity to one million UK homes and businesses by 2021.

Aberdeen is the first of three Scottish cities to benefit from the investment, with work to begin in Edinburgh and Stirling later this year.

GCU will complete the project, starting with streets in Kincorth and Cummings Park, with Smithfield starting soon after. The company will use modern build techniques to deploy the network quickly, while working closely with the council and local communities to ensure a fast and successful roll-out with minimum disruption to residents.

Allan McEwan, CityFibre's City Development Manager for Aberdeen, said: "We're at a really exciting stage of our fibre-to-the-premises roll out in Aberdeen as the build work gets underway. This investment comes at a key time for the city. Aberdeen rightly has a global reputation as a leading energy centre, but the recent downturn highlighted the urgent need for diversification. In this increasingly digital world, full fibre infrastructure beneath our streets will play a critical role in underpinning this process and delivering the city's ambitions.

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"Full fibre will allow the city to be more innovative and more productive, while attracting inward investment and boosting the local economy for generations to come. And it won't just improve business at home – it will also help businesses take their products or services to an international audience."

Cllr Douglas Lumsden, Co-Leader of Aberdeen City Council, added: "The regional economic strategy has diversification and internationalisation at its core and the digital capability this project brings will help us deliver on those ambitions. Businesses can access news ways of working and enjoy a competitive advantage while residents will also benefit from the increased connectivity. The economic and social returns promise to be enormous.

"When it comes to digital transformation Aberdeen City Council is leading the way, as you might expect from a city renowned for its technological innovation. The partnership with CityFibre and Vodafone is also a pioneering way of delivering new infrastructure, where the financial commitment we have made through the Aberdeen City Region Deal has leveraged £40 million of private investment."

(CM/MH)