Superfast broadband services should be available across Scotland by 2020, First Minister Alex Salmond said on Monday.

The UK Government announced last week that the Highlands and Islands had been successful in its bid to become one of the four UK rural market testing projects for the next generation of broadband.

Mr Salmond said the Scottish Government now wants to see the whole of Scotland getting improved digital infrastructure at a meeting of the Convention of Highlands and Islands in Orkney.

He announced that Highlands and Islands Enterprise will match the pilot funding with additional investment leveraged in from the private sector. The total commitment to the Highlands and Islands for the next generation broadband is likely to exceed £30 million.

He said: "The positive impact on business, education and public services of reliable and fast broadband could be enormous.

"The decision to approve the bid marks a major step forward for the Highlands and Islands and we must now look to establishing a digital future for all.

"Last week, we published 'A Digital Ambition for Scotland', a paper setting out our ambitions for Scotland's digital economy.

"It outlines our commitment to doing all we can to realise those ambitions and, in the coming months, we will publish a detailed digital strategy setting out how we will ensure Scotland is best-placed to reap the benefits of the digital revolution."

"Scotland leads the world in several areas of digital technology," Mr Salmond added.

"One of the greatest challenges is to increase the relatively low levels of digital participation in Scotland. We want the rate of broadband uptake in Scotland to first match the UK average, and then overtake it.

"In this digital revolution, it is the Highlands and Islands which is leading the way."