Connections
Briefing from BT Scotland • Spring 2011
More rural exchanges set for faster broadband
BT and the Scottish Government have announced plans to upgrade six more rural telephone
exchanges for faster broadband services.
BT will carry out the work at Abbey St.
Bathans, Lempitlaw and Steele Road in the
Scottish Borders; Tummel Bridge, Perthshire;
Bargrennan in Kirkcudbrightshire and
Westerdale in Caithness under its existing
Broadband for Scotland partnership with the
Scottish Government.
The six exchanges currently have a BT
Exchange Activate service which provides
a basic broadband speed of 0.5Mbps. They
will be upgraded to a full ADSL platform
offering speeds of up to 8Mbps. Engineers
expect all six exchanges to be ready to
offer the faster speeds by mid/late April.
BT and the Scottish Government have
been working together since 2005 on
the Broadband for Scotland initiative,
which was launched to take firstgeneration broadband into Scotland’s
smallest communities where commercial
investment alone was not viable.
Brendan Dick, director of BT Scotland,
said: “This is good news for the six exchange
areas set to benefit. The upgrades will help
more people get faster broadband speeds
from a wider range of service providers and
make possible higher-bandwidth services
like TV over the internet.
“Looking at the bigger picture, this
year could see a step change in the pace
of delivery of faster broadband right
across Scotland. BT has a history over
generations of investment in all parts
of the country. We are keen to help the
Scottish Government fulfil its Digital
Ambition strategy and play a full part in
working with the public sector to take
next generation broadband into our more
challenging geographies.”
Enterprise Minister Jim Mather said:
“We have been working with BT to identify
telephone exchanges at or approaching
their capacity, and in need of an upgrade
to provide better broadband connections.
Twenty-seven exchanges around Scotland
have already been enhanced, and I’m
delighted that a further six exchanges are
set for improvements.
“There is absolutely no doubt that faster
broadband is a real benefit to householders
and also businesses, who need a
competitive advantage as we work to build
economic recovery in Scotland. We want to
continue improving Scotland’s broadband
infrastructure and today’s announcement
is a further step in the right direction.”
Once the upgrades are complete,
existing broadband customers should
contact their ISPs to discuss the options
available. For more information visit the
Scottish Government’s Broadband for
Scotland website
BT has also announced that four smaller
Scottish towns will benefit from the next
phase of its roll-out of super-fast fibre
broadband. Around 47,000 businesses
and households in Bathgate, Dalkeith,
Musselburgh and Montrose will be able to
access super-fast broadband speeds of up
to 40Mbps by Spring 2012.
Meanwhile, the people of Innerleithen
are celebrating after the small Borders
town became the only Scottish winner of
BT’s Race to Infinity competition.
The competition, for communities to vote
for their area to be one of the next upgraded
to super-fast broadband, proved so popular
that BT increased the number of winners
from five to 10. Openreach will complete a
survey of the winning areas to assess and
plan fibre deployment early next year.
Brendan Dick said: “We’ve been so
impressed by the passion and commitment
of the people who signed up to campaign
for their areas up and down the country.
Congratulations to the winners and
commiserations to those who haven’t been
successful, but all their efforts haven’t
been in vain because their votes will help
influence our plans in the future.”
BT has pledged to invest £2.5 billion to
deliver super-fast fibre broadband to two
thirds of the UK by 2015.
BT Scotland director Brendan Dick, Tweeddale MP David Mundell, MSP Jeremy Purvis, and lead campaigner Brian McCrow
celebrating with the people of Innerleithen
For BT contact telephone numbers please see your local BT Phone Book
Briefing from BT Scotland • Spring 2011
Red-nosed BT people
“get the hump”
in Scotland
A comic camel has been visiting BT call
centres and offices in Alness, Dundee
and Glasgow as part of the company’s
huge push to raise cash for this year’s
Red Nose Day.
The mock-up “ship of the desert”
went on a four-week tour of BT
buildings across the UK urging staff to
Get the Hump and fill its saddlebags
with charity cash.
Another comic camel headed north
from Truro in Cornwall and the two
Humps – dubbed Humphrey and
Camela – met up in Warrington on Red
Nose Day – Friday, March 18 – for a
big fundraising celebration.
BT campaign manager Kevin Lamey
explained: “This was one of the year’s
biggest BT Comic Relief fundraising
activities and we aimed to visit as
many BT sites as possible.
“The slightly crazy idea was a spoof
spin-off of the celebrity BT Red Nose
Desert Trek in Kenya – a gruelling
five-day trek featuring a number of
celebrities, including Scots Lorraine
Kelly and Ronni Ancona.”
BT declared Friday, February 18, as
“Chat for Change” day – on behalf of
its customers it donated 1p to Comic
Relief for every call made from a BT
home phone line and payphones. That
raised more than £200,000 helping
BT race past its Red Nose fundraising
target of £350,000.
Money raised will help people living
unimaginably tough lives across the
UK and Africa.
The Comic Relief camel gets a warm welcome at BT’s
Alness call centre
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BT Scotland’s £ half-billion
boost for economy
BT generated a massive £527 million for the Scottish economy
last year according to a report by DTZ Consulting.
The report also shows that the communications company supports more than 12,000 jobs
in Scotland through direct employment and its spending with contractors and suppliers.
In employment terms, BT’s impact in 2009/10 was equivalent to Scotland’s entire
accountancy and book keeping industry.
The overall beneficial financial impact of BT activities is expressed as a “Gross Value
Added” contribution. For Scotland, the BT GVA totalled £527 million – 0.5 per cent of
Scotland’s total GVA.
Brendan Dick, director, BT Scotland said: “BT contributes some very big numbers to
Scotland’s bottom line. These latest figures confirm the unique and vital role the company
plays in the prosperity and well-being of the nation.
“Every local authority area and every part of society benefit from our day-to-day
activities and our commitment to be at the heart of every community. BT people across
Scotland have a genuine desire to make a positive contribution to their society.
“It is vital as a business that we continue to grow and help our customers, stakeholders
and employees to thrive as we work together to create a more prosperous Scotland.”
‘The Economic Impact of BT in the United Kingdom’ analyses the positive contributions
made by BT through the salaries and wages of employees and contractors, and the
beneficial impact of its procurement and overall expenditure around the UK. The report
highlights that BT Scotland –
• Is responsible for the employment of more than 7,520 people – 7,055 direct
employees and 465 contractors – with a total income of £220 million
• Provides work for a further 1,900 people through BT’s spending with businesses that
supply its equipment and services
• Invested £125 million in the Scottish economy through spending and procurement
on capital and revenue projects last year
• Committed £2.2 million to community, charity and voluntary programmes, spread
around every Scottish community in 2009/10
• Has enabled 80 per cent of its employees to work flexibly, with more than 550
homeworkers – 8 per cent of the workforce.
New flood warning system for Scotland
Scots in flood-prone areas can now benefit from a high-tech
alert system which will warn them by text or phone call when
flooding is predicted.
Following funding from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency (SEPA) awarded a five-year, multi-million pound contract to BT Business and
software company HTK to help build Floodline Warnings Direct.
The system will deliver better flood warnings and provide valuable extra time to take
action, helping emergency services and the public.
Flood warnings are currently issued to the police and published on Floodline, an online
and recorded message service, in a mainly manual process using phone and fax. However,
the new service will mean that SEPA will be able to call on the latest geographic mapping
technology to define specific flood areas, and actively send alerts to everyone who has
registered in the highlighted area.
The system will automatically issue flood warnings to partner organisations like the
police, fire and rescue, local authorities and the public. People will also be able to find
flood information on the internet and via the phone through interactive voice response
systems based on speech-recognition technology.
Briefing from BT Scotland • Spring 2011
Business rates on
telecoms assets
in Scotland
The debate on the future roll-out of
high-speed broadband in Scotland has
recently included some ill-informed
and misleading comments on business
rates, particularly in relation to the
rating treatment of the BT network.
A common assertion is that BT
is treated differently from other
telecoms operators in the way its
rates are set and that it is given an
advantage. This is incorrect. Rates in Scotland, as in the rest of the UK, are governed
by a statutory framework that applies to all assessments, so as to ensure fairness and
consistency between all ratepayers in all sectors.
These assertions of unfairness have been tested rigorously in the courts and in all cases
they have been rejected. The European Commission undertook a lengthy investigation
to determine if BT was receiving state aid on its rates bill. Its October 2006 decision
concluded: “....that the so-called “business rates” tax is levied on telecommunications
infrastructure belonging to BT in a way that does not give them a lower tax burden than
that of their competitors and so does not result in state aid in favour of BT.” An appeal
was made to challenge the decision - this was dismissed by the European General Court
on 21st January 2011.
These assertions have also been tested in English courts where the rating rules are
essentially the same as in Scotland. The claim that others are treated unfairly compared
with BT was again rejected in June 2010.
Some of BT’s competitors continue to campaign that the rating system is unfair and
needs changing – their latest claim is that it could encourage deployment of broadband to
rural areas.
BT’s view is that business rates are not the main obstacle to extending fibre networks
to remote communities. Rather it is the high costs of laying new duct and fibre over long
distances coupled with the difficulty of generating sufficient revenue from businesses
and residents in sparsely populated remote areas to cover these costs.
Some of the arguments developed by others rely on assumptions about what rates
would be paid on new fibre deployments in rural areas. However, no-one knows what
these will be. It is difficult for the rating authorities to give precise valuation advice for
something that has not yet been built, but they are working with the industry to provide
greater clarity on the likely future treatment.
BT backs campaign for a greener Glasgow
Edinburgh schoolgirl
is Scotland’s online
teaching champion
An Edinburgh teenager has been
recognised by BT in a competition
to find the UK’s most inspiring and
dedicated young internet tutors.
Terri Miller, 16, from Leith, was
chosen as the overall UK winner
and Internet Ranger of the Year for
Scotland after coming up with the
idea of running computer classes
for disabled young people and older
people at her local community centre.
Terri was presented with her prize of
a new laptop, £300 worth of vouchers
and a certificate by BT Scotland
director Brendan Dick and MP Mark
Lazarowicz at Edinburgh’s Telford
College.
The BT Internet Rangers awards
is an annual competition aimed at
recognising young people who make
a special effort to help others use and
make the most of the internet.
Terri said: “I really didn’t expect
to win at all; I was just doing what I
could. In a way, giving other people
the opportunity to experience what
I experienced in terms of computer
accessibility makes us all a bit more
equal.”
BT has been helping people to get
online since 2002. The company’s
latest campaign – Get IT Together - is
focused on making it easier for people
to help friends or family get online
with a suite of free resources. For more
information on the campaign, visit
www.bt.com/getittogether.
Anyone interested in becoming a
BT Internet Ranger, or learning more
about the initiative, should visit
www.btinternetrangers.co.uk
BT is partnering a high-profile campaign to make Glasgow one of
the most sustainable cities in Europe.
BT has signed up to Sustainable Glasgow, which brings together the public and private
sectors and academia to reduce carbon emissions, boost the local economy and tackle
social issues.
Brendan Dick, director of BT Scotland said: “As a major employer in Glasgow and
a provider of communications services for thousands of local people, we have a
responsibility to contribute to the wellbeing of the city.
Sustainable Glasgow is a city-wide partnership to make Glasgow one of the most
liveable and sustainable cities in Europe. Members include Glasgow City Council, the
University of Strathclyde, Scottish Power, Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish
Enterprise.
For more information visit http://www.sustainableglasgow.org.uk/
BT Scotland director Brendan Dick presents UK
Internet Ranger of the Year Terri Miller with her
prize laptop
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Briefing from BT Scotland • Spring 2011
Young visionaries with an eye for e-commerce win top awards
A chocolatier and part-time model from Cumbernauld was among those recognised for their visionary business and e-commerce skills
at the annual BT Scotland Young E-ntrepreneurs Awards in Glasgow.
Organised by the Prince’s Scottish Youth
Business Trust (PSYBT), the awards seek to
recognise visionary PSYBT entrepreneurs
who have benefitted from BT Scotland
funding and gone on to grow their
businesses with the help of e-commerce.
Sarah Findlay, founder of Miss COCO
chocolates, received the award for most
Visionary Business and a cash prize of
£1000. Sarah (24) launched Miss COCO
early last year with the help of start-up
funding from PSYBT and BT Scotland. The
former 2009 Miss Earth Scotland model
designs and makes her chocolates at a
small production facility in Cumbernauld.
Rachel McLean (21) founder of Sweet
Peacock, a soap making business in Stepps,
received the award for Best Website, www.
sweetpeacock.com. Rachael, who is a
second degree reiki practitioner, consciously
channels holistic therapy in the form of reiki
chakras into her own handmade soaps.
The Best E-commerce business award
was given to Carol-Ann Brown (24),
founder of F5 Karting [www.F5karting.
co.uk] based in Dumfries. Last year she
began introducing thrill seekers and
outdoor enthusiasts to the latest extreme
beach sports craze from New Zealand,
called blokarting, a form of land yachting.
The Most Environmentally Responsible
Business award went to young Dunfermline
entrepreneur Aaron Simpson. Aaron
(23) is founder of Vteam Scotland [www.
vteamscotland.co.uk], a professional car
valeting company - with a difference.
Vteam Scotland is a completely waterless
valet which saves up to 200 litres per wash
and as the products are non-toxic there is
no discharge of chemicals into drains.
All the runners-up received a £750 cash
prize to further develop their business.
In the last ten years, BT Scotland has
invested more than £500,000 in the Young
Award winners (L-R) Rachael McLean, Aaron Simpson,
Sarah Finlay and Carol-Ann Brown
E-ntrepreneurs programme, helping more
than 150 young people to start-up in
businesses.
Liz Turner, head of corporate
responsibility at BT Scotland, said: “Our
winners have discovered for themselves
that new technologies allow smaller
companies to expand quickly, give them
credibility and make them more efficient in
a competitive marketplace.”
Scottish young engineer and science
clubs boosted by BT
BT helps parents keep kids even safer
on the internet
Classroom science clubs across Scotland are set to benefit
from the services of BT Scotland volunteers.
The Young Engineers and Science Clubs Scotland
programme, led by the Scottish Council for Development
and Industry (SCDI), has more than 400 clubs in primary and
secondary schools all over Scotland.
As well as investing in the programme, BT Scotland is
encouraging its employees to volunteer to help out at local
clubs. The clubs are designed to give young people the
opportunity to learn about science and engineering in a
relaxed setting with the emphasis on learning by doing and
working as part of a team.
Scott McIntosh, a management consultant with BT, is
the company’s first
volunteer with the
Young Engineers &
Science Clubs. He said:
“Getting involved with
the Young Engineers
and Science Clubs is a
great opportunity to
help youngsters who
are keen to explore
science and engineering
in a fun environment. It
also provides additional
BT volunteer Scott McIntosh assists pupils at
support for classroom
Blackness Primary School
teachers.”
BT is launching a new range of printed and online safety advice
to help parents keep children safe on the internet. A major
campaign will prompt BT broadband customers to consider BT’s
free Family Protection parental-control software, which will now
be offered automatically as part of the install process.
Family Protection is provided in conjunction with internet
security industry leader McAfee. The service is included
free with all BT Total Broadband packages and is part of a
comprehensive offering of online security options, which also
include firewall and anti-virus protection.
BT will deliver child internet safety booklets to tens of
thousands of new broadband customers with their orders,
update online advice and make it easier for parents to benefit
from its Family Protection software, by further simplifying
the download process.
It will also communicate safety messages to millions of
existing customers regularly, ensuring that all customers are
reminded at least once a year about the availability of Family
Protection software.
The Family Protection software would have a total retail
value of up to £120 million annually if purchased separately
by our customers. The software has a set of controls that help
parents match the maturity of each of their children to what
they can do on the web. Parents can block entire programs or
inappropriate websites, either by age, category or by blocking
an individual site. Time limits can be set and parents can
request instant alerts if children attempt to access blocked
sites or post personal information.
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