AN ambitious community in a remote Scottish glen has won praise for a “transformational” broadband scheme that will see it become one of the few places in the UK able to reach speeds of 1Gbps.
Working in partnership with Stirling Council and internet service provider Bogons, community interest company Balquhidder Community Broadband (BCB), will deliver hyper-fast, future-proof and community-owned broadband to all 197 premises in the Balquhidder area.
In what is believed to be a unique project in Scotland – delivering such high speeds through a community-owned network, to such a small population – the project has involved local volunteers digging trenches and laying fibre cable across the rural landscape.
Funded in part by an initial £100,000 investment from Stirling Council along with a similar investment from its commercial partner and rural development funding from the Scottish LEADER programme, the BCB project is expected to bring millions of pounds in economic gains to the area. It will deliver internet connections hundreds of times faster than those previously available from mainstream internet service providers. This will boost the local economy, improving jobs, diversity and resilience. Property prices are expected to rise, and residents and businesses will be better able to access commercial and public services online.
Speaking at a public launch yesterday, David Johnston, a director of BCB, said: “This project is hugely significant. Residential homes and businesses, some of which currently have no broadband, will be able to cancel existing broadband and line rental contracts and enjoy world-class service for less than most are currently paying.
“This has been a genuine collaboration between local businesses, local government and local people and our commercial partner Bogons to lay the foundations for broadband connectivity in Balquhidder on a par with the rest of the world.”
Local businesses set to benefit from the scheme include the Mhor Group, which operates restaurants and a hotel. Owner and chef Tom Lewis said: “This broadband scheme is vital to the development of our businesses. The markets we target expect and demand a good internet connection.
“Our current satellite feed is expensive and only lets us provide limited email services to our customers, which has had a negative impact in our corporate conference business. It will be transformational once we are connected and finally allow us to manage our businesses in Balquhidder, Callander and Glasgow from our home in Balquhidder.”
Brandon Butterworth, a director of Bogons said: “Balquhidder is our first local project of this nature. Since our work with BCB started we have also now taken on wireless internet service provider provision for neighbouring Loch Tay.
“We are looking to help other communities where the community is willing to do the digging and other works for us to install fibre. A DIY dig saves the community a significant part of the install cost where any fibre, even fibre to the cabinet, has not previously been available.”
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