Around £500m will be invested to deliver next-generation broadband to communities and businesses across Scotland by 2015, potentially supporting thousands of jobs and boosting Scotland’s economy, Alex Neil said.

The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment was speaking as the Scottish Government published a procurement plan detailing how contracts will be awarded to reduce the digital divide and to deliver a significant improvement in speed and coverage of broadband for every community in Scotland by 2015.

The Step Change 2015 programme has identified funding of some £250m from the public sector. It is expected private sector investment will at least match this. An action plan to deliver world-class digital infrastructure for Scotland by 2020 was unveiled in January.

Neil said: “[The] procurement plan, backed by our major investment for faster internet connections, will boost economic growth and connect communities wherever they are in Scotland.”