Work has begun to lay subsea cables to link the Isle of Bute off the Scottish coast to the mainland in preparation for the island gaining a superfast broadband connection.

The fibre optic cables are being laid between Ardyne and Ardbeg, after a £26.9 million contract was awarded for the completion of the work back in December 2013, the Buteman reports.

Director of Digital Highlands and Islands Stuart Robertson explained: "The subsea cables are an essential part of bringing high-speed broadband to our west coast communities."

He added this work will make it easier to connect residential and commercial properties in the most remote parts of the island to this new technology.

Overall, £146 million is being spent on bringing improved internet speeds to the more rural parts of north and west Scotland.

However, homes and businesses on the Isle of Bute may not experience the results of the cable laying until 2016, which is when they are due to gain access to the superfast broadband service.

In total, it is hoped 84 per cent of the region will be connected to the high-speed technology by the end of the rollout, with Mr Robertson stating this should bring local people and services closer together.

Add a comment

Comment

Your name

Your e-mail address

Comments (0)