Broadband to arrive at Scottish Islands

 

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By Alun Williams

Posted on 6 Oct 2003 at 17:00

Three of Scotland's main island groups are to get fixed-line ADSL broadband for the first time.

THUS, working together with BT Scotland, has announced plans to take broadband across the Minch and Pentland Firth to the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland. The fast Internet access is scheduled to arrive in the Spring of 2004.

The three islands' capitals - Stornoway, Kirkwall and Lerwick - will enjoy ADSL and THUS estimates that up to 13,200 business consumers will be able to benefit.

'Bringing broadband to the islands is a major milestone in our rollout programme, signalling our determination to bring coverage to the most remote parts of Scotland' said Bob Downes, a BT Scotland director. 'The complexities of the task are highlighted by the fact that it's taking the joint efforts of two communications companies and the enterprise agency to beam the technology across the Minch and Pentland Firth.'

'BT has made great progress to date rolling out broadband across Scotland,' he added. 'We already have more than 60 per cent coverage and if all our current exchange triggers are met we'll exceed 80 per cent.'

Generally speaking, the new technology will be within reach of around one-third of the population on each island.