Connectivity / Scottish company puts itself forward for £40m Northern Isles broadband contract
A SCOTTISH broadband company has thrown its hat into the ring for a major £40 million contract to enable access to “gigabit capable” internet connections in Orkney and Shetland.
Highland Broadband confirmed to Shetland News it is in a “competitive process” for the Gigabit infrastructure scheme to deliver a full fibre network.
The Project Gigabit procurement is targeted at premises which fall outwith the Scottish Government’s R100 contract and commercial activity from Openreach.
More than 13,500 premises are thought to be eligible in Orkney and Shetland for the Gigabit scheme. Gigabit speeds are 1,000Mbps.
As part of the tender process for the Orkney and Shetland contract representatives for Highland Broadband are coming to the isles this week to outline “the community benefits and impacts” the company would have delivering the network.
The company said it is keen to speak to a “diverse group of organisations on connectivity and the benefits that will arise from full fibre”.
It said this would include the “third sector, event organisers and business communities”.
A spokesperson for the company said: “Highland Broadband is on a mission to end digital inequality, which has been holding back rural Scotland for too long.
“Our ultra-fast network is on track to connect more than 100,000 premises next year, providing full fibre connectivity to more than 150 towns and villages across Scotland – and we are determined to include Shetland and Orkney in that rollout too.
“As the Scottish Government begins its process to decide who it will choose to provide a full fibre network for Shetland and Orkney, the Highland Broadband team will this week meet with community groups and businesses to ensure we deliver a game-changing service for local people.”
The UK Government previously said the contract is estimated to be awarded in October.
At a council meeting in late November Shetland Islands Council’s development director Neil Grant said Project Gigabit is “potentially really significant”.
Highland Broadband started in the Lothians in 2015, delivering fixed wireless access internet to communities who had no other option for connectivity.
The company then acquired Highland Wireless in 2020, starting a move towards the Highlands region.
It added that since then it has built its own full-fibre network in other areas too including Fife and Stirlingshire.
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