We will commission a piece of work to carry out network planning and engagement with both UK and Scottish Governments, industry and national programmes in order to assess the gaps in provision in local superfast connectivity and inform a strategic plan regarding the future of connectivity in Shetland
The last few years have seen considerable efforts undertaken to improve connectivity in Shetland, ensuring that the benefits of high speed broadband are delivered to local residents, businesses and organisations.
Shetland Islands Council has played a central role in this delivery, instigating both the Shetland Telecom Project (which delivered a fibre optic network stretching from the southernmost part of the mainland in Sumburgh to the oil and gas installations at Graven in the north mainland) and the North Isles Fibre Project (which extended the council’s fibre network to the islands of Yell and Unst, providing fibre connectivity to public sector buildings in the North Isles). These interventions have provided fibre connectivity to council and other public services, while also providing infrastructure that can be utilised for community and domestic connectivity.
Given the challenges of living and working in a rural area, delivering improved connectivity across Shetland was already a high priority, to mitigate against the effects of distance and isolation, to allow businesses and organisations to modernise, and to deliver improved quality of living for residents, in line with the Shetland Partnership’s 10 Year Plan to encourage people to live, work, study and invest in Shetland.
Work continues to develop a Strategic Outline Programme to consider options to those areas of Shetland not currently served by superfast connectivity, or projected to be in the scope of the Scottish Government’s R100 rollout.
