DIGITAL SCOTLAND OUTER HEBRIDES ROLL-OUT

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1 DIGITAL SCOTLAND OUTER HEBRIDES ROLL-OUT Fibre broadband roll-out for Outer Hebrides October 2017

2 Outer Hebrides The roll-out of a fibre optic broadband network in the Outer Hebrides is part of a 410m investment by Digital Scotland partners. being led in the Highlands and Islands by HIE and the current contract is set to bring access to more than 86% of premises in the region by the end of the financial year 2017/8. The roll-out has been designed to reach the most premises possible within the contract budget. Its original target was to reach 70% of Outer Hebrides homes and businesses, and while it has now passed that target it does not have the funds to reach everyone. It is an important first step for the islands, as without the public investment there would have been no commercial roll-out of fixed fibre services. Progress so far Given how little existing fibre there was in many parts of the region, the first task has been to create a core network, reaching into many rural and island areas in the Highlands and Islands where fibre has never been before. In the Outer Hebrides this has meant building a new network for the islands. It has created a core network which provides the capacity to then build the local infrastructure needed to get better broadband to many villages. So far 123 fibre cabinets are live across the Outer Hebrides for around 11,500 homes and businesses. This equates to 76% of the premises. Customers who have access to the network automatically upgraded. You have to order fibre broadband services from an internet service provider. What does roll-out look like? Fibre services are, in the main, delivered through new green fibre cabinets (fibre to the cabinet or FTTC). In some cases we link new cabinets into existing telecoms cabinets, and in others where people are currently connected direct to the exchange the network is redesigned and re-routed into new cabinets. The exchanges themselves are much less relevant compared to previous broadband. The ability to get a service and the speed received are both dependent on whether a home or business is attached to the local cabinet, and the length of the telephone line from it to your house. As a broad guide those connected to the cabinet and within 1km can expect superfast speeds (24Mbps or better), those within 2km can expect a significant uplift (depending on their current speed), and beyond 2km speeds drop away fairly quickly and you may not see any benefit.

3 How do I know if my home can be connected? The interactive Digital Scotland map allows anyone in Scotland to put in their own telephone number or postcode to see the latest available information. It gives an overview of where services are live and also the latest information on whether work is happening in what are known as The information is updated as the new infrastructure is put in. If you can get a service you can shop around with internet service providers to get the best deal. If you are currently connected to an Exchange Only line, this message will change if you are drawn into a new telecoms cabinet. Unfortunately not everyone in a project exchange area will be able to get the new services. It depends on whether you are linked into the new infrastructure, and your distance from it. Detailed progress in the Outer Hebrides So far more than 11,500 homes and businesses in the Outer Hebrides have been linked to the new network. The following provides the latest overview of the roll-out. Back Nine cabinets have been built to cover the Back area. They cover a number of communities including Upper Coll, Gress, Lighthill and Vatisker. There is currently no further build planned for the area within the contract.

4 Balallan Three cabinets are live for Ballalan exchange area covering the west-end of the village, Keose and Laxay. A further cabinet is planned to include the east-end of Balallan. Barvas Four cabinets are live for Barvas covering Barvas and Brue. Bayhead Bayhead was not originally part of the project, but has been drawn in as a result of additional funds. Coverage is currently being planned. Benbecula Eight fibre broadband cabinets are now live in the area. Coverage includes the area near the Benbecula exchange, Creagorry, Balivanich, Muir of Aird, Lionacleit, Uachdar, Torlum and Griminish. A further four cabinets are built and will be brought into service in the coming months. Two further areas including Grimsay are in the planning stage. Berneray Coverage in Berneray is making use of to the technology. Work is progressing on the transmission equipment and planning applications have been now been approved for the three planned cabinets to serve the island one of which is built. Borve Three cabinets are taking orders in this area at Upper Shader, Airaidhantuim and Borve. An additional two cabinets for the Borve exchange area will come through this year including North and South Galson. Callanish Four cabinets are taking orders in Callanish. The latest ones to go live are for the Breasclete and Tolsta Chaolais areas. Carloway Six cabinets have been built to cover the Carloway area. They cover a number of communities including Kirvick and Gearannan. There is currently no further build planned for the area within the contract. Carnan Two cabinets have been built to cover the area. The first one in Eochar is live and the other one at Ardmhor will be coming soon. As a result of additional funds coming into the contract - because of good levels of take-up and efficient delivery we are hoping to extend coverage a little further with an additional three cabinets, these are currently still in planning. Castlebay Three cabinets are now live for the Castlebay exchange area, including the Castlebay, Tangasdale and Borve areas. Three more are built but not yet in service in Castlebay, Greann and Kentangabhal and a further two still are still in planning.

5 Crossbost Six cabinets are live and accepting orders in the Crossbost area covering part of Achmore, Crossbost, Ranish and Leurbost. Eriskay A fibre cabinet is live and taking orders. Garrabost Fifteen cabinets are live and taking orders for the Garrabost exchange area, and coverage now includes most villages in Point. One additional cabinet is built and should come through this year in Flesherin. Gravir Three cabinets are now live for the Gravir exchange area. Coverage includes Gravir, Garyvard and Kershader. A cabinet is also built in Habost and should come through this year. Grogarry Three cabinets for the area are live and taking orders. One is at West Gerinish, another at Stilligarry and the third is for the Howmore area. Further coverage is currently being planned and further details will be released in due course. Harris (Tarbert) Three cabinets are live and taking orders for the Tarbert area including Bunavoneader. There is currently no further build planned for the area within the contract. Leverburgh Five cabinets are live and taking orders in the Leverburgh area including Strond and Northton. There is currently no further build planned for the area within the contract. Lochboisdale The roll-out for Lochboisdale exchange area has taken longer than initially anticipated. BT re-planned the area after the initial survey to ensure the project maximises coverage. Five cabinets will be delivered this year for areas including Daliburgh and Lochboisdale. Cabinets are built but not yet in service in West Kilbride and Kilpheadear. Planning is still in progress for other communities south of the exchange area including Smeircleit, Garrynamonie and South Boisdale. Locheport Two cabinets at Carinish and Clachan are live and taking orders. Lochmaddy A fibre cabinet for Lochmaddy is live and taking orders. Ness Eight cabinets are live and taking orders for the Ness area, including Cross, Knockaird Eoropie, Skigersta, South Dell and Lionel. A further cabinet for Swainbost is coming this year.

6 North Tolsta Two cabinets are live and taking orders for North Tolsta. Northbay Six cabinets are live and taking orders for the Northbay area including Ardmhor, Bruernish and Eoligarry. Scalpay Two cabinets are live and are taking orders for Scalpay. Scarista While not in the original programme Scarista area is now to be included with three cabinets currently in the planning stages. Shawbost Four cabinets are live and taking orders for the Shawbost area. The latest live cabinet is for the Bragar area. Sollas Three cabinets are live and taking orders covering the Sollas area including Malaclete and Grenitote. There is currently no further build planned for the area within the contract. Stornoway Eighteen cabinets are live covering the Stornoway area. Recent cabinets to come through are at for the Milking Hill, Tong and Melbost/Branahuie areas. We say exactly who will and will not get service from planned cabinets yet, as every line and local network is unique and we tell exactly who will be drawn in and what speeds they will get until we have gone through the full build process. How has it been decided where the local network will go? In this first phase, the aim of the project is to bring fibre based services to as many people as possible within the available budget and technology. The model is not designed around who broadband most - everyone wants it - but on how we get as much coverage across the region to as many as we can in the most efficient way. None of our areas is easy and of the more than 160,000 premises already connected through the project we have reached island and mainland communities of many shapes and sizes. Geography covered is currently from North Roe in Shetland to Southend in Kintyre. At the start of 2013 only 4% of premises in the Highlands and Islands could access fibre broadband. By the end of 2017 the new extended target is to reach more than 86%. What if my home/businesses in the roll-out? There are places in the Outer Hebrides, as in other parts of the region, that are more difficult to reach. Primarily these are places with smaller numbers of scattered premises.

7 The Scottish Government has committed to all premises having access to at least 30Mbps download by A review has identified all homes and businesses where the commercial providers or the publicly funded projects will not provide these speeds. This information is helping shape an intervention area for a future project which will take coverage further again. The creation of the new fibre network does make finding a solution in the future more likely. In the meantime any homes or businesses where there are download speeds of less than 2Mbps, and which are not set to be reached by the project in the coming year, can apply for the Better Broadband Scheme. It provides a voucher worth up to 350 for the installation of a satellite or wireless system where available. What is happening to the Connected Communities network? The Connected Communities broadband network has started the process of scaling down in size and scope. Public sector clients are migrating to SWAN and increasing coverage of the superfast fibre NGB project is offering fibre based services in a number of ConCom areas. Any customers who are in an area where fibre becomes available should transfer onto the new network. They can do this by speaking to internet service providers to see what packages are available. The Connected Communities network currently delivers services to around 1,500 business and residential subscribers throughout the Outer Hebrides. In addition it continues to serve a reducing number of public sector locations including schools, and health centres. Some sections of the access network are gradually being decommissioned where no longer required. The agencies want to support the transfer of customers to the new network. They are committed, where practicable, to retaining a service until an alternative is available and continue to review options for individual subscribers. DSSB project funding The total value of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project in Scotland is 410m. In our region the investment is 146m. The public contribution is 126.4m with an additional 19.4M coming from BT. The public sector investment of 126.4m is being delivered through the Scottish Government broadband fund, which incorporates funding from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), and also includes up to 12m from own budget. There is no European funding involved in the the H&Is project. More details on Digital Highlands and Islands activity is available at: hidigital@hient.co.uk

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