South of Scotland Authorities begin Broadband Pathfinder procurement
Tuesday, October 4 2005
A £27-million project to introduce broadband technology into schools, libraries and Council offices in the South of Scotland moved forward this week.
An advert has been placed in the Official Journal of the European Union seeking the interest of contractors to install broadband
in all targeted locations by mid 2008.
The South of Scotland Broadband Pathfinder Project is a partnership between Scottish Borders Council and Dumfries & Galloway
Council. The partners hope to be able to award the contract by the middle of next year.
The Project Director, Alan Hasson, SBC's Head of Community Services, said, "Ensuring that local public services have access
to the latest broadband technology is a vital step in modernising local government. It will provide a tremendous boost to
modern learning and teaching practice and to the provision of services to the public."
The initiative complements the Supply Side Intervention project, led by the Scottish Executive and Highlands and Islands Enterprise,
which is currently bringing ADSL broadband to communities across Scotland. Although concentrated on Council facilities, the
Pathfinder project could result in further large scale upgrades to the telecommunications infrastructure across the South
of Scotland.
The majority of the funding for the project is being provided by the Scottish Executive. Minister for Transport and Telecommunications,
Tavish Scott, who is MSP for Shetland, said, "I am delighted that the Pathfinder procurement is underway. This investment
by the South of Scotland authorities dovetails with our own Supply Side Intervention project and will result in further benefits
for the most remote and rural areas across Scotland."
A similar pathfinder project is being run in the Highlands and Islands as a partnership between Highland, Argyll and Bute,
Moray, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles Councils.
A key priority of the Pathfinder projects is to ensure that all the secondary and primary schools in those authorities are
connected at a minimum speed of 4 megabits/second, more than eight times faster than current connections - with much higher
speeds likely. The educational benefits which will arise from this and other complementary initiatives, such as the Scottish
Schools Digital Network Intranet schools, lie at the heart of this project. (MORE)
Norman Dodds, Headteacher of Duns Primary School, Berwickshire, said, "We're excited about the arrival of Broadband. It will
give children and teachers quick and easy access to a vast range of educational content, including high quality graphics,
audio and video. The speed of transmission just can't cope with this at the moment. Not only will the traditional TV broadcasts
be available via Broadband, but we'll also be able to space-walk with NASA, explore the Amazon rainforest or have a virtual
stroll round the Roman forum! Gone, too, will be the endless wait for screens to appear and the frustration that goes with
it. Roll on Broadband!"
Neil Horne, Rector of Hawick High School, said, "We are a school with high ambitions for our young people and our community.
We want to provide our young people with the best opportunities to fulfil their potential, to be successful learners, confident
individuals and active citizens: proud of their heritage and their place in the world.
"The provision of next generation broadband services is another key tool in achieving these ambitions. It is an essential
tool to help our students, staff and our community to progress with confidence into the twenty-first century, without fear
of disadvantage."
Scottish Borders Council Leader and Depute Leader are well aware of the vital role of Broadband in the future efficiency of
local government and education services.
SBC Leader David Parker said, "The Broadband project will increase the Council's current network capacity by up to 20 times
in 2006 and 150 times by 2009, greatly improving data sharing capabilities and the Council's delivery of electronic services.
The Broadband links to Scottish Border's schools is essential in allowing them to take full advantage of the Scottish Schools
Digital Network (SSDN), currently under development. The main feature of the SSDN is a national virtual learning environment
designed to enhance the teaching and learning process through the application of ICT."
SBC Depute Leader, Michael Cook, added, "Since the handover of the project by the Scottish Executive to the South of Scotland
Partnership, officers of both Councils have shown tremendous energy and ambition in pushing this project forward. They deserve
credit for that, but that energy and ambition reflects a commitment and aspiration that we all share to see the South of Scotland
linked by technology. It keeps education in the Borders at the forefront of technology, while enabling Scottish Borders Council
to deliver ever greater efficiency and customer responsiveness in the services we provide."
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