The Aberdeen-based connectivity provider successfully secured funding for the Aberdeenshire Ultrafast Wireless Broadband Project through the Digital Challenge Fund, part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal.
The initiative will make greater use of Scot-Tel-Gould’s existing infrastructure at Mormond Hill and Alvah Hill, giving homes, farms and businesses across parts of the Turriff, Fraserburgh and Peterhead districts, and the surrounding countryside, another broadband option.
Broadband choice has traditionally been limited in many of these communities, with properties often reliant on older copper-based connections and few alternatives where full fibre is unavailable.
The continuing connectivity gap is particularly evident in the areas covered by the project. Ofcom-derived data from January 2026 indicates that 45% of premises across the AB53 postcode district do not have access to broadband speeds of at least 30 Mbps. The equivalent figures are 22% across AB43 and 18% across AB42.
By comparison, Scot-Tel-Gould’s fixed wireless network can provide ultrafast speeds of up to 900 Mbps, depending on the service available at each property.
Fixed wireless broadband is transmitted from a nearby mast to a small receiver installed at the property, without the need to lay a fibre cable all the way to the building.
Scot-Tel-Gould has undertaken detailed mapping across the project area and knows that the majority of the properties identified have a clear line of sight to either its Mormond Hill or Alvah Hill mast. This means most will not require a separate survey before installation can be arranged.
Funding secured for the project will cover the installation cost for eligible properties. Customers will pay the applicable monthly charge for their chosen broadband service.
Georgi Hristov, Technical Director at Scot-Tel-Gould, said: “We know how limited broadband choice has traditionally been in many parts of rural Aberdeenshire. Where full fibre is not available, people can find themselves relying on an older copper connection simply because there are few other realistic options.
“Our infrastructure at Mormond Hill and Alvah Hill is already in place, and we have identified around 10,000 homes and businesses that could potentially connect. This is not about waiting for a new network to be built: ultrafast connectivity has already arrived in these areas, and the funding means eligible properties can have it installed without an installation charge.
“We know the geography, the communities and the challenges involved in providing dependable connectivity across rural Aberdeenshire. This project will allow us to give many more local households, farms and businesses the broadband choice they have been missing.”
The project is one of several successful initiatives supported by the Digital Challenge Fund. Grant funding agreements totalling £3.1 million have been signed through the fund, comprising £2 million from the Scottish Government and £1.2 million from Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.
Cllr Anne Stirling, Aberdeenshire Council Co-Leader and Aberdeen City Region Deal Vice-Chair, said: “These projects will harness new technologies to improve connectivity, develop skills, support key industries and create opportunities for communities and businesses alike.”
Scot-Tel-Gould will begin contacting properties in selected priority areas this autumn before extending its community activity across the wider Mormond Hill and Alvah Hill network areas.
Properties do not need to receive information through the post to benefit from the project. Residents and businesses can check whether their property may be eligible for funded installation by visiting www.scot-tel-gould or calling Scot-Tel-Gould on 01224 471335.
The Aberdeenshire Ultrafast Wireless Broadband Project is being delivered solely by Scot-Tel-Gould after the company successfully applied for funding through the Digital Challenge Fund, part of the Aberdeen City Region Deal.
Around 10,000 homes and businesses within reach of Scot-Tel-Gould’s Mormond Hill and Alvah Hill infrastructure could potentially connect and benefit from funded installation.
Scot-Tel-Gould has already established line of sight for most of the identified properties, meaning a separate survey will not usually be required. Final service availability and eligibility for funded installation will be confirmed for each property.
Funding covers the installation cost for eligible properties. It does not cover the ongoing monthly broadband service charge.
Scot-Tel-Gould is an Aberdeen-based connectivity provider with more than 1,400 connected locations and a network footprint covering over 7,800 square kilometres. The company has extensive experience of delivering fixed wireless, fibre and hybrid connectivity across rural and difficult-to-reach parts of the North-east. Its network is monitored 24 hours a day and supported by a local team based in Aberdeen.
Emma Anderson
Marketing Consultant
Scot-Tel-Gould
T: 01224 471335
E: emma.a@scot-tel-gould.co.uk
W: scot-tel-gould.co.uk
If you have any questions, please contact us, either fill in the form or call us - 01224 471335.
Scot-Tel-Gould work across North-East Scotland to provide fast reliable broadband, with speeds between 20Mbps and 1Gbps to almost every imaginable setting.
