Peter Rae from Biggar is one of thousands of people across South Lanarkshire who is benefiting from fibre broadband. Having signed up to fibre broadband he has seen a significant improvement in his service, revolutionising the way in which he is able to communicate across the world, including Australia and America.

“We are able to have a clear conversation and I can see them all via webcam, crystal clear without interruption”

Living in a rural community, Peter initially thought that it would be an issue to get connected to fibre broadband. However, after visiting a Digital Scotland showcase event his online experience has improved significantly.

Like many others, Peter did not realise that the upgrades to fibre broadband are not automatic and that his service provider had to be contacted in order to upgrade to the service. Having upgraded, Peter is seeing significant improvements to the way he is able to communicate across the world.

Communication across the world

Peter’s daughter Angela and her husband Russell live close to Melbourne in Australia with their three children. Therefore, to Peter having fast internet is essential.

Peter says: “Before I signed up for fibre broadband trying to contact my daughter was particularly frustrating. It was horrendous, we couldn’t keep a constant conversation as the connection would buffer frequently. Since signing up there has been a significant improvement in the way I’m able to communicate.

“We are now able to have a clear conversation and I can see them all via webcam, crystal clear without interruption. This was particularly important to me over Christmas as - via Skype - I was able to speak to them as if they were in the room.”

Peter adds: “Having fibre broadband also made a huge difference on Hogmanay this year as we broadcasted our yearly bonfire via webcam (www.biggarwebcam. co.uk). Over the years we have had viewers from all over the world watch the celebrations. This year, thanks to fibre broadband, there was a noticeable difference in the quality of the streaming.”

Song writing

Peter is also involved in co-writing songs. At the moment he is working with Stephanie K, a singer, who lives in New York. Peter uses multi-platforms to collaborate with Stephanie, including Broadjam where the music is uploaded.

Peter adds: “It is an amazing opportunity that I have to co-write songs with Stephanie. In order to be able to write these songs effectively we need to communicate frequently to collaborate the songs. This means that it is essential for me to have a clear and fast internet connection.”

Fibre broadband offers fast and reliable broadband connections at speeds of up to 80Mbps* and there are many suppliers in the marketplace to choose from. Whether you own a business, work from home or want to keep in touch with friends and family, fibre broadband enables multiple users to connect to the internet at high speeds and get better, faster access to online services.

Sara Budge, Programme Director for Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband, said: “It’s fantastic news that the programme has been able to launch more fibre broadband and has been able to benefit many residents and businesses, like Peter, in and around South Lanarkshire.