Once in a generation engineering task to install fibre cables over the Forth

Delivering full fibre access to South Queensferry has been a unique challenge – with a 3km stretch of glass fibre blown across the iconic Forth Road Bridge to connect residents and businesses in the town to the network hub in Inverkeithing, Fife.

It took six months to plan and weeks of preparation, as engineers worked in steel tunnels under the walking platforms to prepare the bridge for the fibre cables.

The technology is up to ten times faster than average UK broadband connection and around five times more reliable than the copper-based network it replaced.

Residents and business owners have been quick to take advantage, with 45 per cent of properties signing up – 50 per cent higher than the Scottish average – and take-up still growing.

Later this year, engineers will start building links to the hardest-to-reach local properties. However, more folk could upgrade now.

Robert Thorburn, Openreach’s director for Scotland, said: “Linking South Queensferry to our full fibre network was a once-in-a-generation engineering task.

"Local residents and businesses have been quick to sign up but more people could be benefiting. Upgrades aren’t automatic; people need to place an order with their chosen providers to get connected and we’ll do the rest.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

To find out if your property has access now, visit www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/ultrafast-full-fibre-broadband.