Lismore, a picturesque island off the coast of Scotland, is on the cusp of a digital revolution as it prepares to receive some of the UK’s fastest and most reliable broadband, thanks to the Scottish Government’s £600 million Reaching 100% (R100) program.
In a landmark initiative, Lismore will undergo a full fibre broadband upgrade, granting its residents access to ultrafast internet speeds and enabling local businesses to thrive in the digital age.
Unlike its usual procedures, Openreach, the delivery partner for R100, is seeking early input from the local community to facilitate the rollout of the island’s full fibre network. Residents can register their interest by checking their postcode on the Openreach website under the “Ultrafast Full Fibre Broadband – Keep me updated” option.
Full fibre broadband offers enhanced reliability, resilience, and future-proof connectivity, with fewer disruptions, consistent speeds of up to one Gigabit per second, and the capacity to accommodate increasing data demands.
Richard Lochhead, the Scottish Government’s Innovation Minister, emphasized the significance of future-proof digital connectivity for island communities. He encouraged residents to engage early in the process while Openreach engineers work on the island.
Robert Thorburn, Partnership Director for Openreach Scotland, expressed excitement about the project, highlighting the transformative potential of ultrafast broadband for islanders. He acknowledged the logistical challenges of island builds and stressed the importance of local input in the build plan.
Thorburn noted that providing contact details doesn’t commit residents to placing an order but helps Openreach deliver connections swiftly to those who wish to upgrade. This new approach is being tested on Lismore with the support of Lismore Community Council and is expected to be replicated for other island communities in the R100 program.
The Lismore R100 project constitutes a substantial infrastructure upgrade, necessitating the presence of more engineering teams, equipment, and vehicles on the island. Openreach strives to minimize disruptions by utilizing its existing network infrastructure, including ducts and poles.
The first properties on Lismore are anticipated to connect to the full fibre network later this year, gaining access to services offered by various providers, including Sky, BT, Vodafone, Zen, and TalkTalk, all of which use the Openreach network.
