News / Broadband update
MORE than 6,000 households and businesses in Shetland have now access to superfast broadband, according to Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
In its latest update on the massive project to roll out next generation broadband across the region, the development agency said many smaller communities in Shetland would be connected over the next six months.
The £146 million development aims to deliver broadband services to 84 per cent of Highlands and Islands premises, but only 76 per cent of households in Shetland.
The issue of the missing 24 per cent has regularly been raised by politicians, and there is a commitment from the Scottish Government to find ways of connecting Shetland’s remoter communities with the help of Community Broadband Scotland.
HIE said on Tuesday that high speed services were now available in parts of Hamnavoe, Lerwick, Cunningsburgh, Sandwick, Scalloway, Sumburgh and Weisdale.
Work to connect Brae, Bressay, Gott, Hillswick, Skellister, Sullom Voe, Vidlin, Voe and Walls is underway and it is expected that many of these locations will be connected over the next six months.
The agency’s director of digital, Stuart Robertson, said: “It’s great to see the fibre cabinets coming through in locations across Shetland.
“Recent additions include the UK’s most northerly cabs in Weisdale. In Lerwick, a new cabinet reaching more than 400 premises has also gone live, taking the total number of cabinets in the town to 15.”
Customers can find out if services are available on the checker at www.hie.co.uk/whereandwhen
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