Next fibre broadband areas for Highlands and Islands

13th July 2016

The next areas where fibre broadband is rolling out across Scotland have been announced by Digital Scotland partners today. See the release here http://bit.ly/fibrenext

Local area and progress detail for Highlands and Islands areas are as below:

Latest independent figures from Think Broadband confirm 75% coverage across the Highlands and Islands region. They indicate that 61% of H&Is premises have access to more than 30Mbps and that 70% of premises have access to more than 10Mbps.

Comment from Stuart Robertson, Director of Digital at HIE: "Roll-out continues across the Highlands and Islands, and it's great that we are seeing growing numbers of rural towns and villages with better access to fibre broadband than ever before. When we started this project fibre services were only available to 4% of the region's homes and businesses. Coverage has come a long way, and the new core infrastructure we've rolled out gives us a much better base to build on into the future."

Customers are reminded that fibre services are an entirely different product than existing broadband. You have to #CheckandOrder if available. See the phone number/postcode checker here http://www.hie.co.uk/whereandwhen

Shetland

• New areas where work is scheduled in the next six months - Bigton, Bixter (has come through early - already live), North Roe, Ollaberry
  
• Current number of premises where fibre based broadband is now available - more than 7,500
  
• Number of new fibre broadband cabinets built and taking orders - 40
  
• Towns and villages with services available - Bixter, Brae, Bressay, Cunningsburgh, Gott, Hamnavoe, Hillswick, Lerwick, Quarff, Sandwick, Scalloway, Mossbank, Sullom Voe, Sumburgh, Voe, Walls, Weisdale
  

Details for Orkney

• New areas where work is starting in the next six months - all phase 1 project areas have started
  
• Current number of premises where fibre based broadband is now available - more than 7,000
  
• Number of new fibre broadband cabinets built and taking orders – 31
  
• Towns and villages with services available - Burray, Deerness, Evie, Finstown, Harray, Holm, Kirkwall, Orphir, St Margaret's Hope, Stromness
  

Details for Outer Hebrides

• New areas where work will be starting in the next six months – Balallan, Carnan, Gravir, Grogarry, Locheport, Sollas
  
• Current number of premises where fibre based broadband is now available – more than 6,500
  
• Number of new fibre broadband cabinets built and taking orders – 46
  
• Towns and villages with services available - Back, Barvas, Callanish, Carloway, Crossbost, Garrabost, Leverburgh, North Tolsta, Shawbost, Stornoway.
  

Details for Highland – the figures here reflect the project coverage – there is additional coverage in Highland through BT's own commercial roll-out

• New areas where work will be starting in the next six months – Applecross, Aultbea, Badachro, Balmacara, Bridge of Westfield, Carbost, Dornie, Farr, Forss, Glenelg, Glenshiel, Kinlochbervie, Kinlocheil, Latheron, Lochbroom, Lochinver, Morvern, Nigg, Nigg Station, North Erradale, Poyntzfield, Skeabost Bridge, Staffin, Strathy, Stromeferry, Whiteface.
  
• Current number of premises where fibre based broadband is now available – almost 65,000
  
• Number of new fibre broadband cabinets built and taking orders – 242
  
• Towns and villages with services available - Alness, Ardersier, Ardgay, Aviemore, Avoch (Fortrose), Ballachulish, Beauly, Bettyhill, Boat of Garten, Bonar Bridge, Brora, Cannich, Carrbridge, Castletown, Cawdor, Corpach, Cromarty, Croy, Culbokie, Dingwall, Dochgarroch, Dores, Dornoch, Drumchardine, Drumnadrochit, Dunbeath, Duror, Edderton, Embo (Dornoch), Evanton, Fearn, Fort Augustus, Fort William, Fortrose, Golspie, Grantown on Spey, Halkirk, Helmsdale, Invergarry, Invergordon, Inverness, Inverness Culloden, Keiss, Kessock, Kildary, Kiltarlity, Kincraig, Kingussie, Kinlochleven, Kyle, Lochcarron, Lybster, Mallaig, Milton of Leys, Muir of Ord, Munlochy, Nairn, Nethybridge, Newtonmore, Onich, Plockton, Portmahomack, Portree, Reay, Rogart, Rosemarkie, Salen, Spean Bridge, Strathpeffer, Strathy, Strontian, Tain, Thrumster, Thurso, Tomatin, Uig, Urray, Watten, Wick.
  

Details for Moray - there is additional coverage in Highland through BT’s own commercial roll-out

• New areas where work will be starting in the next six months – Ballindalloch, Mulben
  
• Current number of premises where fibre based broadband is now available – almost 30,000
  
• Number of new fibre broadband cabinets built and taking orders – 104
  
• Towns and villages with services available - Aberlour, Alves, Brodie, Buckie, Carron, Clochan, Cullen, Dallas, Dufftown, Elgin, Findhorn, Fochabers, Forres, Garmouth, Hopeman, Keith, Kingston, Kinloss, Lhanbryde, Longmorn, Lossiemouth, Rothes, Rothiemay, Tomintoul
  

Details for Argyll and Bute - there is additional coverage in A&B through BT’s own commercial roll-out

• New areas where work will be starting in the next six months – Achnamara, Cairndow, Crinan, Glenbarr, Kilchrenan, Minard, Southend, Whitehouse
  
• Current number of premises where fibre based broadband is now available – more than 18,000
  
• Number of new fibre broadband cabinets built and taking orders – more than 80
  
• Towns and villages with services available - Aros, Balvicar, Benderloch (Ledaig), Campbeltown, Cardross, Carradale, Connel, Craignure, Dalmally, Dervaig, Dunoon, Ford, Innellan, Inveraray, Kilmelford, Kilmun, Lochgilphead, Machrihanish, Minard, Oban, Rothesay, Strachur, Tarbert, Taynuilt, Tighnabruaich, Tobermory, Toward
  

Details for Arran and Cumbrae

• New areas where work will be starting in the next six months – Kildonan
  
• Current number of premises where fibre based broadband is now available in Millport and Arran – more than 3,000
  
• Number of new fibre broadband cabinets built and taking orders- 19
  
• Towns and villages with services available - Brodick, Corrie, Lamlash, Lochranza, Millport, Pirnmill, Shiskine, Whiting Bay.