Only a month after its inception the "Speak up for Broadband" campaign, currently underway in the Highlands and Islands, is gaining impressive results.

The campaign kicked off at the end of January as part of a major investment by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to convert internet access in the region from a luxury to a utility.  So far it has helped to generate over 5,000 new registrations of interest on the HIE website, helping to trigger further investment in broadband infrastructure.

Calum Davidson, head of knowledge economy at HIE, said: "We are delighted with the response we've been having so far to the campaign to encourage people to register their interest in receiving access to broadband technology at an affordable flat monthly rate.  This confirms that the people of the Highlands and Islands want broadband.  It allows us to plan for large scale network investment in broadband over the next year, and it also enables us to start the process of detailed planning for broadband roll-out across the region.

"Meanwhile the numbers of registrations made by individual communities will determine their position in the roll out plan, so it is essential that members of the public continue to speak up for broadband by spreading the word in their local area.

"By the end of the month we hope to have more details of the progress individual communities have made and to have identified the first communities expected to receive broadband services."

In a separate move HIE is also setting up community wireless broadband demonstrations in six locations across the Highlands and Islands not covered by mainstream ADSL.  The first of these, covering Cromarty on the Black Isle, is due to become operational at the end of the month.

Meanwhile local businesses and members of the public who have not yet registered their interest in receiving broadband in their communities are being urged to do so, either on the HIE website (www.hie.co.uk) or by calling the broadband hotline on 0800 027 23 27.