Improving Broadband Speeds - Water Pipeline Innovation For Orkney Island Residents

7th November 2024

Drinking water pipes are delivering faster and more reliable broadband for the first time in the UK.

Nearly every business and resident in Papa Westray, Orkney, can now receive speeds comparable to less rural areas of Scotland through the Reaching 100% (R100) programme.

Contractor CloudNet used the community-owned water authority's existing infrastructure, with Scottish Government funding, as a more efficient and less disruptive alternative to conventional cable laying methods.

The fibre cable is delivered through a second pipe housed within the drinking water network. Papa Westray became the first to use this approach successfully because the water system is owned by the community, streamlining the process of gaining permissions and causing less disruption to the island’s roads.

The new broadband network - which allows CloudNet to offer a superfast service – enables, for example, remote monitoring of livestock via CCTV and home healthcare check-ups via video call. It also supports visitor accommodation booking systems and tourism facilities on the island of 90 residents.

Business Minister Richard Lochhead said:

"This ingenious approach represents a less disruptive way of delivering faster connectivity to all on Papa Westray. Scotland is famous the world over for its innovation. We are working with rural communities in the most imaginative ways possible to bring faster broadband to some of the hardest to reach parts of the country.

“This project showcases engineering creativity at its best and makes it easier for residents to do business and access essential services such as health and education.

“This will also help attract people to live and work on Papa Westray. Under the £600 million R100 programme, the Scottish Government is helping deliver a fair, green and growing economy for all our regions."

Remote sensors placed in the water pipe provide a hi-tech way to monitor the island's water quality.

Papa Westray Water Board supply engineer Ian Cursiter said:

“Without this high speed connectivity, I wouldn't be able to remotely monitor my farm or the water network for the island.

“The real benefit in monitoring the water network for levels of usage, pressure and so on, is providing a much more efficient water system, which will ultimately be more environmentally friendly and cost effective to islanders.

“I’ve lived on Papa Westray my whole life and I'm delighted to see connectivity that allows the islanders to access the same facilities as those on the mainland.”

CloudNet Managing Director Greg Whitton said:

“CloudNet are proud to have delivered this Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme project to the most remote island in Orkney – Papa Westray – the first successful commercial project of its kind in the UK.

“Due to the island topography, we used the water network to deliver fibre to the premises. This helped minimise excavations and excessive construction costs on the project to meet the programme needs.”

The R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme provided a voucher worth up to £5,000 to help homes and businesses that were not in coverage plans of either the Reaching 100% contracts or planned commercial investment to obtain superfast broadband speeds where providers may not ordinarily go.

Contractor CloudNet installed connections using a radio signal from the neighbouring island of Westray, which is then distributed to premises using fibre cabling.