As we look to build the cities of the future, allowing everyone to put their data and technology to better use to make improved decisions and enhance our quality of lives, then the ease, speed and security with which such data can be accessed is vital.
Ultra-fast connectivity is key to delivering this. It is a game-changer for a city like Edinburgh, one of the UK’s leading technology hubs. Indeed, outside of London, the Scottish capital has been named the top city for the number of high-growth businesses.
But, coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses in the capital need to access affordable internet connectivity with the sort of speeds that give them the most advanced digital connection possible.

Commsworld has already worked hard to achieve this through our work to radically modernise Edinburgh’s network. The benefits of this means Edinburgh now has a digital network that delivers unlimited bandwidth and gigabit speed, and which businesses throughout the city have the opportunity to use.

Nowhere is this boost to connectivity more keenly needed than in the retail sector. The move to a better connected future in this sector has already begun. An example is the £1bn St James Quarter development right here in Edinburgh.
Last year Commsworld secured the contract to install its high-capacity network infrastructure to the massive 850,000 sq ft development. That involved deploying, managing and maintaining full fibre network connectivity to St James and the surrounding area, providing ultra-fast connectivity in the heart of the city.

The partnership has provided each of St James Quarter’s tenants throughout its retail units, restaurants, and numerous public spaces, with the opportunity to connect to our Optical Core Network. It means that the Galleria has the fast, reliable and resilient network connectivity that it deserves.

This step change has come thanks to our ability to offer businesses in St James Quarter with access to speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second, delivered through our full-fibre Optical Core Network. This network, the largest independently owned DWDM network in the UK, is owned end to end by Commsworld, meaning it is resilient, reliable and responsive.

It allows us to manage all services in-house, meaning we can provide a responsive and dedicated team that can provide each and every tenant with the infrastructure needed, from LAN, WAN, Wi-Fi, and CCTV to business telephones and other services.
These ensure premises are well connected, safe, secure and monitored. We can also install hi-tech cabling to support ultrafast internet services as well as other data or comms applications that a business requires.

At a time when retail has struggled during the pandemic, such connectivity is helping St James Quarter turn Edinburgh’s East End into a retail and tourist hotspot, and in turn providing a welcome boost to Princes Street, George Street and the Royal Mile.
But technology never stands still. At Commsworld, we are continually looking to improve our offering and with it the connectivity to all our customers. Next is boosting connectivity to retail and communities throughout the more rural areas of the country, so that networks across our towns and villages of Scotland are as robust and efficient as our biggest cities.