Highland Council and BT sign multi-year network services agreement that is set to benefit nearly 200 schools

The Highland Council and BT have signed a multi-year agreement to deliver connectivity to over 340 sites, including nearly 200 schools, with new fibre provision delivered to over 100 sites in some of the most challenging locations in Scotland.

BT will deliver services through the recently procured Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) Framework, and working with the Council who are set to transition and transform the existing network services into a modern, fit for future infrastructure.

Councillor Derek Louden, chair of the highland council’s corporate resources committee, said: “As a vanguard partner in the first SWAN Framework, The Highland Council benefited from reliable connectivity to our geographically diverse sites.

"This new SWAN Framework promises to bring further benefits in the form of financial savings, greater resilience and the network bandwidth required to support digital education and new digital ways of working. It will also be a key element helping to deliver the outcomes of the Council’s ICT Strategy.”

SWAN director Hayden Edwards added: “The Highland Council serves one third of the land area of Scotland, including the most remote and sparsely populated parts of the country.

"We are proud to have been selected as a key partner by the Council to deliver secure, resilient, high-speed connectivity to their offices, schools and public service hubs, whilst delivering savings that can be re-invested by the Council in digital transformation.

"The BT team are very much looking forward to delivering this challenging, critical project with the Council.”

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.