Innovative build connects Thornhill

Monday, 24 April 2023

More than 230 residents in the community of Thornhill, Dumfries & Galloway, can now access full fibre broadband thanks to the Reaching 100% (R100) programme.

Over £600m is being invested in the Scottish Government’s R100 programme, which recently passed the milestone of connecting more than 20,000 homes and businesses to superfast broadband.

The Thornhill exchange area, which spans 10 miles (17km) at its widest point and seven miles (11km) in length was recently connected by R100 contract delivery partner, Openreach.

Given the proximity of the A76 trunk road and the rural nature of the landscape around Thornhill, which is 15 miles (24km) north of Dumfries, the deployment

Over 80 miles (130km) of cabling and 160 new and replacement poles were used to deliver future-proofed broadband.

At times more than 40 engineers from Openreach and their build partners were working on the ground. They used an technique to avoid roadworks along a four-mile (6km) stretch of the nearby A76, reducing the need for digging and knock-on disruption to traffic and residents.

It all means that locals can now get online more easily, having previously struggled with poor broadband connections. You can watch our YouTube video to find out more.

R100 contract build

Over 114,000 properties are currently expected to be able to access faster broadband through the R100 contracts. The build which reaches Shetland at its most northerly point and continues through mainland Scotland to parts of the South, including Thornhill, will be rolled-out in phases.