A Highland broadband company will be able to speed up its mission to “level the playing field” for people in rural areas after being awarded £10 million of funding.
Highland Broadband is aiming to make sure the entirety of the region a full-fibre option by the end of 2026.
It currently serves all communities between Helmsdale and Evanton as well as the Cairngorms.
But the firm will now take the next steps in expanding where it can offer its services.
This comes after the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) invested a further £10m into Highland Broadband.
The Black Isle, Beauly and Strathpeffer are all included in Highland Broadband’s next rollout.
Mission to make sure Highlands isn’t left behind, says chief executive
Highland Broadband estimates around 500,000 premises in Scotland don’t have access to a gigabit-capable networks – a connection able to deliver speeds of 1,000 megabits per second or more.
Its plans to connect as many of those as possible include ongoing installations down the Great Glen connecting communities between Inverness and Fort William.
Chief executive Gavin Rodgers has already seen success with Highland Broadband in its initial target areas.
Prior to starting work in 2015, fewer than 1% of all premises from Inverness to the north of Scotland, the Black Isle, and on the east coast had access to a gigabit capable network.
He said: “Before we started our rollout, only 0.14% of premises within our target markets had access to a gigabit capable service.
“As we progress, 98% of premises have or will have access (by the end of this year) — therefore ensuring whole communities benefit.
“The £10m investment will allow us to continue our rollout of our network across the Black Isle and throughout Beauly and Strathpeffer.”
Mr Rodgers is the chief executive of parent company Lothian Broadband (LBN), which acquired the Highland business three years ago.
The Highlands and Islands face “unique connectivity issues” according to him, and he views overcoming these barriers as “essential”.
Mr Rodgers added: “The Bank’s continued support has enabled us to accelerate our plan to connect these regions.
“Which ultimately helps reduce plane based inequality in the areas, such as education, employment and healthcare.”
Monthly prices currently range from £34.99 for its 100 megabyte (MB) per second service to £74.99 for its 2.5GBps offering.
How Scottish National Investment Bank will help Highland Broadband connect rural regions
SNIB’s latest investment will help the company make “significant progress” in providing connectivity to more than 100,000 new premises.
The bank initially provided the firm with £20m cornerstone funding in 2021 and another £20m last year.
This helped Highland Broadband install gigabit-capable networks to areas of East Lothian, Stirlingshire, Fife and the Highlands north of Inverness.
SNIB executive director Andy Clapp said: “Our support of Highland Broadband’s multi-year effort to connect all parts of Scotland aligns with one of our core missions to increase equality through improving spaces.
“The installation of gigabit capable networks, which so many of us take for granted, is already having a real-world impact that’s strengthening the threads of Highland communities.”
Conversation