World-Class Digital Infrastructure

The ‘Connected Tay: Digital’ project is part of the Connected Tay theme within the Tay Cities Deal. This theme recognises the critical importance of improving digital and transport connectivity to increasing access to jobs and training across the region. It is also critical to unlocking the region’s full economic potential.

Improved digital connectivity will be a critical factor in the development of knowledge-intensive businesses across the Tay Cities region. It is also integral to the development of business innovation, internationalisation and in supporting inclusive growth.

The Tay Cities region lags behind others across Scotland and the UK. It performs significantly below other international comparators in terms of:

high-speed broadband
fibre-to-premises provision
mobile coverage
access to public Wifi

The ‘Connected Tay: Digital’ project provides a strategic regional response to the challenge of future-proofing the connectivity needs of the region. It achieves this by moving beyond the current national rollout of digital infrastructure to better provide for the future needs of the citizens and organisations within the Tay Cities area.

The project will use the Tay Cities Deal as an opportunity to formulate this response and also to benefit from collaborative working at a regional scale. It will draw on funding available at a UK level from the DCMS Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) Programme.

£1m has been allocated through the Tay Cities Deal for rural broadband. This aims to support the expansion of broadband infrastructure, helping Angus businesses to compete globally and improving accessibility for our citizens. Improved broadband supports rural entrepreneurs and small businesses in particular. They are crucial to our sustained growth.