BT wins Scots NHS fat pipe deal

BT has secured a multimillion pound, six-year contract with the NHS in Scotland to provide a nationwide broadband network.

The network will enable medical practitioners including GPs and specialists to transfer clinical data – such as video examinations – faster. The broadband network is scheduled to cover 3,000 sites by 2007.

BT has already won a similar deal with the NHS in England, known as the N3 project. At the end of last year, the telco was hit with penalities of £4.5m for delays to the N3 rollout.

As with the N3 deal, BT has said it will use other providers in Scotland to supply the broadband connection while the telco will provide integration and be responsible for the service quality.

BT announced its latest set of financial results today, turning in revenue of £4.8bn for the second quarter of this year. At 30 September, the company reported 6.2 million wholesale broadband connections.

The revenue from BT's broadband unit rose to £350m during the quarter, with its 'new wave' service – mobility, networking and broadband - now accounting for 30 per cent of the company's revenue.