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[Bowdon]

Ullapool Communities in Scotland Raise £85K to Build Broadband Network

Last month we reported that several rural communities around Ullapool, Lochbroom, Little Lochbroom, Gruinard Bay, Elphin and Coigach in the Scottish Highlands were aiming to build their own 50Mbps wireless broadband network. Happily the project has now begun its build phase after raising £85,000.

Apparently 209 local “founders” helped to raise the necessary funding for the Highland Community Broadband (HCB) network and as a result the first construction work can now begin, although it’s estimated that the full infrastructure cost could reach £164,500. Of the 209 founders, covering 219 premises, some 84% of the total came from residents (each contributing around £400).

The HCB network, which is scheduled to go live during January 2017, should cover a total of 1,434 residential premises in the area (the scheme aims to connect 650 homes by July 2017 and 850 by the end of 2017). Founding subscribers will of course be among the first to get the service installed, while standard subscribers should be able to register from 1st February 2017.