An Ideal Location
Broadband is a generic term for high speed digital internet connections.
The Outer Hebrides are fast developing into one of the best 'connected' real and virtual worker communities in Europe. A multi-million pound investment programme has brought our digital infrastructure to a very high standard and the islands now boast an enabling technology far superior to many areas.
- A new broadband infrastructure (see www.connectedcommunities.co.uk) being installed to support business and commerce will enable organisations to gain access to this increasingly high-speed capability.
- The very latest telephone switching systems now allow seamless connections between your support team on the islands and any customer base, be it in the UK or further a field.
- Digital services including ISDN and video conferencing are available through most of the islands’ telephone exchanges.
- Our digital mobile phone network is constantly expanding to cover not just all main roads but increasingly the more rural areas.
- The realm of 'always on' high speed connectivity is now within reach of even the smallest of companies in the HIE network area subject to discretionary assistance being available. (visit www.hie.co.uk/broadband)
Connected Communities / Hebrides.net
The Connected Communities Broadband Network seeks to provide a Broadband service principally to the exchange areas which have not been upgraded by BT. To date, BT has upgraded 14 of the 35 telephone exchanges throughout the Western Isles to provide ADSL Broadband. It is our understanding that there are no plans to upgrade any of the remaining exchanges. The network also provides services to many subscribers who are within BT Exchange areas but cannot get a service due to distance from their local exchange.
The Connected Communities project continues to move forward, with the main network back-bone masts fully operational, enabling a high quality service provision to all the inhabited islands from Lewis to Barra.
Over 1000 subscribers comprising individuals and businesses are served as are schools and NHS facilities. The network also provides services to utilities in the most rural areas with many sites now benefiting from this reliable, symmetric service. The project team are currently progressing with the next phase of the development. It involves extending the service even further into the more ‘hard to reach’ areas of the Western Isles by installing an additional 35 infill masts or community nodes, thereby offering a high speed, high quality service irrespective of location in the Outer Hebrides..
Construction work on these sites is underway, and we anticipate they will all be completed by March 2008.
