Scotland's first community wireless broadband demonstration project was launched today (Tuesday 25th March) in the historic town of Cromarty on the Black Isle.

The launch was carried out by Lewis Macdonald, Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, who announced a list of a further 12 communities in the Highlands and Islands that are next in line to benefit from wireless broadband services (see note 1).

The Cromarty project is the first of six broadband demonstrations being set up as part of a major investment by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to bring broadband to communities that are not covered by ADSL (see note 2).

The projects are intended to demonstrate wireless broadband technologies and to test the process of rolling it out to potentially 250 of the most remote communities throughout the Highlands and Islands. A unique and crucial feature of these networks is that they are hosted by and within the community itself.

The projects include the installation of a complete wireless broadband network in each of the locations, providing always on internet access for a flat rate monthly fee.  Downloading capacity is up to ten times faster with broadband, and lines remain open for telephone calls even when the internet and email are being used.

Launching the project, Deputy Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning, Lewis Macdonald, said the Executive was committed to stimulating demand for and increasing the supply of broadband internet access across Scotland.

"Providing broadband internet access to remote areas of Scotland will not only help to build a Smart Successful Scotland, but it will also have a major impact on people's lives and local businesses.

"Ensuring that more people can take advantage of this - regardless of where they live - is a major priority.  And the Scottish Executive is taking important steps to ensure more Scots and businesses can access faster, more flexible telecoms services.

"Those areas in the Highlands and Islands that show an early interest will be amongst the first to benefit from this initiative.  I would strongly encourage everyone who wants broadband to use this opportunity by registering their interest on HIE's web-site."

HIE is in the process of setting up a not-for-profit community company that will be responsible for installing wireless networks in at least 50 communities in the next 12 months, and another 100 in the six months thereafter. An application has been submitted to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to finance the first phase of this project.

Chief executive of HIE, Sandy Cumming, said:  "Broadband services, allowing fast always on connections to the internet and email, are becoming as vital to business, education and communities, as electricity and transport.  By investing in projects like this we can really demonstrate the benefits of broadband technology to communities where there is no access to ADSL, and why broadband is so important to the future of the Highlands and Islands.

"For telecom operators it will probably only ever be commercially viable to deliver affordable ADSL solutions to a little over half the population of the Highlands and Islands.  Our aim is to use wireless broadband technologies to raise that figure to upwards of 95%. Such an achievement would be seen as the most significant development in telecommunications in a generation, and could be compared to the introduction of mainstream electricity in the area fifty years ago."

Many businesses and households in Cromarty are now experiencing first hand the convenience and benefits broadband can bring. One of them is David Newman, a director of the Cromarty-based IT company, Plexus Media.  He said:  "Although we choose to be located in a rural area, our company supplies and maintains a wide range of Internet based products and services.  However, in recent years our client base has expanded rapidly and now stretches from the Highlands to many parts of Europe so the need for high quality communications is imperative. Until recently, we believed that the roll-out of Broadband across the UK would probably pass us by completely.
Now, thanks to this innovative project, we are once again on a level playing field with our competitors in more urban areas."

AIMhi, the organisation representing the creative content industries in the Highlands and Islands, has worked closely with HIE in promoting broadband. The association's members are a typical example of people who will benefit greatly from high speed Internet connectivity, as it allows them to communicate faster and more effectively with their clients, suppliers and potential project partners regardless of where they are in the world.

AIMhi chairman, Alastair Murray, said:  "Media convergence is providing major opportunities for collaborative working and AIMhi has a proven track record in acting as a catalyst to get members to pool skills sets for content creation. These collaborative networks are redefining the boundaries for future success and broadband is vital for our members, both as a distribution platform and as an effective communication channel. Broadband can truly bind geographical webs of individuals and companies together making virtual working a reality."

The other five locations where community wireless broadband demonstrations are currently being set up are Newtonmore, Westray and Papa Westray in Orkney, Achiltibuie, Acharacle and Tobermory.

Meanwhile, as future developments must be justified by demand, a major marketing campaign, "Speak up for Broadband", is currently underway in conjunction with the demonstrations, to promote broadband in press, television and radio adverts, and encourage people across the Highlands and Islands to register their interest in receiving the technology.  This level of demand - 30 users per community - is being used by HIE as the trigger for the roll out of future broadband investment.

The campaign has so far generated almost 6,000 registrations of interest on the HIE website and broadband hotline, since it began at the end of January.

Calum Davidson, who heads up the knowledge economy team at HIE, said it is important that people who have not already done so, should register their interest.  He added:  "It is clear that broadband availability will underpin future economic and social developments in the Highlands and Islands.  Future investment in the infrastructure necessary to deliver the technology will however be determined by demand.

"We are delighted with the response we've been having so far to the campaign, confirming that the people of the Highlands and Islands recognise the value of broadband. 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."

Visitors to HIE's innovation centre in The Green House, Inverness, can already access wireless broadband for free using their own laptop computers.  This service is also available at the offices of PICT Innovation in Red Shank House, Alness Point Business Park, Ross-shire.

People interested in receiving broadband, but who have not yet registered an interest, can do so on the HIE website at www.hie.co.uk/broadband or by calling the broadband hotline on 0800 027 23 27.