..:: Broadband in the Local Press

• Village on target for Broadband
  The Northern Scot - 09/01/2004
• Five north exchanges set for Broadband boost
  BT-Scotland - 26/10/2003
• Spey Bay urged to take Broad approach
  The Northern Scot - 17/10/2003
• MP goes on the campaign trail for broadband
  The Northern Scot - 03/10/2003
• Villages hail internet victory
  The Northern Scot - 05/09/2003
• MP Pushes for better Internet coverage
  Press & Journal - 04/09/2003
• Trigger Happy
  The Northern Scot - 29/08/2003
• Lossiemouth latest for going on line
  The Northern Scot - 18/07/2003
• Call to come on line!
  The Northern Scot, Midweek extra - 10/07/2003
• MP Squeezes trigger for Broadband access
  The Northern Scot - 04/07/2003

Village on target for Broadband

9th January 2004 - The Northern Scot
VILLAGERS in Lhanbryde have hit their Broadband target.

The community can now look forward to the high-speed Internet connection in 2004.

BT had set a target of 300 registrations for the service before it would contemplate upgrading the local exchange. A date will be announced soon for the upgrade.

The campaign to get Broadband was established and coordinated by local resident Alan Addison, who said: "This is an amazing result for all rural areas hoping to get access to the new technology."

"Hopefully our efforts will encourage other areas to speak up for Broadband and make sure they are not left behind in the new technological revolution."

"Everyone involved with the campaign over the past few months has done a great job, specifically the staff at the Mace store, who allowed us to set up a collection point for registrations. This proved to be a very effective tool for gathering registrations." said Mr Addison.

— The Northern Scot

Five north exchanges set for Broadband boost

26th October 2003 - BT Scotland
BT Scotland announced today that five more exchanges in the north of Scotland will be upgraded for broadband. The latest initiative will extend the high-speed internet service to more than half the homes in Highland and Moray.

The communications company, supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), pledged today to bring broadband to 8300 customers in Cullen, Fochabers, Fortrose, Grantown-on-Spey and Hopeman.

The project follows BT Scotland and HIE’s broadband initiative in early summer which took the technology to Buckie, Dingwall, Forres, Fort William, Nairn and Oban.

Another broadband breakthrough earlier this month saw BT Scotland teaming up with THUS to bring broadband to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, again supported by HIE.

BT Scotland director Bob Downes said: “Today’s announcement is a great boost for these five communities which can now look forward to the broadband internet experience. And they’re not alone. Through our registration trigger scheme, Lossiemouth was enabled on October 15, and will be followed by Thurso and Findhorn on January 7.

“When these latest exchange upgrades are completed, broadband will be available to 73 per cent of businesses and households in Moray and 45 per cent in the Highland area, with total coverage of the Highlands, Islands and Moray set to reach 50 per cent early next year.
“The next challenge will be to ensure that uptake of broadband reflects the availability. Broadband is currently available to 60% of the Scottish population but uptake remains at around five per cent. As we work to increase demand, we’re not letting up with our efforts to widen availability. We’re trying various technologies to find a viable means of bringing broadband to Scotland’s smallest communities.”

HIE chief executive Sandy Cumming welcomed the announcement.

He said: "Broadband is now one of the major driving forces for economic and social development and we are doing all we can to ensure that businesses, communities and homes throughout the Highlands and Islands have high-speed internet access comparable with that available in larger towns and cities anywhere in the UK.

“This latest announcement, which sees availability of these services extended to more homes in the area, is another significant and welcome step towards that goal."

Last month (September) the HIE network launched HI-WIDE Ltd, a not for profit company that will bring broadband to some of the most remote and rural areas of the Highlands and Islands.

With access to broadband, businesses can gain a vital competitive edge in sales, marketing and customer service operations, and make significant savings in their operating costs.

Families can experience life in the fast lane with always-on, near instant e-mail and fast downloading of games, music, films and sporting clips. Broadband users can also make and receive phone calls while they’re surfing or e-mailing.

— BT Scotland

Spey Bay urged to take Broad approach

17th October 2003 - The Northern Scot
COMPUTER buffs in Spey Bay have been urged to sign up to the BT Broadband revolution

Only 35 people have so far registered an interest in Broadband in the area, and that is well short of the level required for BT to consider upgrading the exchange.

Broadband is 10 times faster than a normal modem connection, and you can still use your normal phone line while on the Internet

Local pro-Broadband campaigner David Bremner said: "If we can demonstrate sufficient demand, then BT will review the local exchange and set a trigger level."

Those levels vary from 200 to 500 expressions of interest before Broadband will be introduced into an area. Elgin already has Broadband, and Findhorn is about to go live.

"In a rural area such as ours, it's a long shot to get the exchange enabled," added Mr Bremner, "but if we don't show our interest by registering, then we have no chance at all."

Anyone in the Spey Bay area who would like to register an interest in Broadband can log on to www.bb4sb.co.uk

— The Northern Scot

MP goes on the campaign trail for broadband

3rd October 2003 - The Northern Scot - Page 3
THE push to bring broadband to a Moray community took a step forward when residents signed up to help make a connection.

MP Angus Robertson went out and about in Lhanbryde to help raise awareness and interest in broadband, the advanced computer connection.

All areas in Moray which had trigger levels set by BT – expressions of interest at which local exchanges would be upgraded – have met their figures, and now the campaign has moved on to bringing the possibility of broadband to smaller communities.

Lhanbryde has a successful online campaign at www.broadband4lhanbryde.co.uk which has already signed up around 160 people.

The number was further boosted when Mr Robertson, who has also carried out door to door campaigns in Craigellachie and Dufftown, gathered a further 40 names.

“Broadband is a very useful tool that can be used to help children to learn in schools and businesses to advertise and sell their products and also to keep track of the markets,” said Mr Robertson.

“The broadband revolution has been compared by some as being like the change from black and white to colour TV, offering vastly superior Internet connections to the current standard modem with very fast downloading of websites and access to high-speed video and sound information on the web.”

“I am sure that the broadband campaign in Lhanbryde will be a successful as the other campaigns in Moray and that this enthusiasm will spread to more Moray’s smaller communities.”

— The Northern Scot

Villages hail internet victory

5th September 2003 - The Northern Scot
RESIDENTS in Findhorn and Kinloss are about to enjoy life in the fast lane by joining the Broadband internet revolution.

The community has hit it's trigger of 300 interested customers and BT Scotland engineers have already started work to connect the local exchange to the national network. It should take around 14 weeks.

Moray MP Mr Angus Robertson, who has backed local Broadband campaigns, said: "This is a tremendous achievement for everybody in the area who have campaigned for broadband connection."

At the moment Broadband is available in Elgin, Forres and Buckie and from next month in Lossiemouth. Over one million have signed up for it across the UK.

"There is currently an ongoing campaign for a trigger level to be set for the Lhanbryde exchange and anyone interested can register their support at www.broadband4lhanbryde.co.uk," said Mr Robertson.

"I will also be campaigning on the issie in Craigellachie and Dufftown where residents have requested help in getting the new service."

BT Scotland general manager Mr Brendan Dick said: "This is great news for the people of Findhorn who have used our registration scheme to prove that sufficient demand for broadband exists in the area."

Initially they set a trigger of 400 for Findhorn but that was reduced to 300 earlier this year following a review of the cost involved in upgrading the exchange.

"It's a tremendous achievement for the community and I would like to thank all the local campaigners for their efforts in bringing broadband to the area," added Mr Dick.

Broadband is up to 10 times faster than a normal internet connection and it can be on all the time without affecting your normal phone line.

— The Northern Scot

MP pushes for better Internet coverage

4th September 2003 - The Press & Journal
MORAY MP Angus Robertson yesterday continued his campaign for increased broadband Internet access in the area by claiming that it was vital for the rural economy.

On door-to-door visits to Dufftown and Craigellachie, the MP said that the advent of broadband in Moray would be as important a technological change as switching from black-and-white to colour television.

Findhorn recently reached its trigger level of 300 registrations, which means that every exchange in Moray with a set trigger level is now activated or ready to be activated.

However, there are still a number of exchanges without set trigger levels where Mr Robertson claims the local community is keen to have broadband availability.

These include both Dufftown and Craigellachie, and Mr Robertson yesterday visited residents and businesses in both towns who would be interested in signing up for the high-speed internet connection.

He said: "The benefits of broadband would make and immense difference to the area's community and businesses. It is 10 times faster than normal internet connections and is becoming less expensive as more interest is generated.

"Broadband technology has been described by some as being like switching from black-and-white to colour television. A major advantage is that you can simultaneously be on the internet and the phone, which would be extremely advantageous to businesses, especially those working from home."

Mr Robertson yesterday urged anyone who would like to see broadband introduced to Dufftown, Craigellachie and Lhanbryde, which is also campaigning to have the new technology available, to register their interest.

"This does not mean you are committing to purchasing broadband but the more registrations in an area the quicker that it might become available," he said.

People can register their interest online at www.bt.com/broadband. There is a specific campaign website for the Lhanbryde area at www.broadband4lhanbryde.co.uk

— By Tommy Smith, Press & Journal

Trigger Happy

29th August 2003 - The Northern Scot
THE broadband computer revolution could be set to hit a Moray community following a successful campaign.

Over 150 people in the Lhanbryde area have registered an interest with BT, and that has taken the introduction of the high-speed Internet access a step closer.

The community has shown enough interest in Broadband for BT to carry out a full cost analysis of upgrading the exchange.

The result of the review should be known within the next two months when BT are expected to announce a trigger level for the exchange.

Trigger levels vary from 150 up to 500 depending on the cost of upgrading the exchange. The trigger level is the final target to aim for before an exchange is upgraded for Broadband.

In the meantime, residents are still asked to register their interest in Broadband with the local campaign at www.broadband4lhanbryde.co.uk

— The Northern Scot

Lossiemouth latest for going on line

18th July 2003 - The Northern Scot
YET another Moray town is set to enjoy life in the Internet fast lane.

Lossiemouth is to benefit from Broadband after hitting it's customer registration target for the high-speed Internet service.

BT Scotland engineers will shortly begin work to connect the exchange to the Broadband backbone network. A date for the switch on will be announced soon (Ed: 15th October 2003), with the work taking around 12 weeks to complete.

More than 160 Scottish exchanges have been allocated triggers, ranging from 150 to 500 customers. The trigger is based on the cost of enabling each exchange - typically £200,000 - and represents half the number of customers BT need to break even after three years.

BT Scotland general manager Mr Brendan Dick said: "This is great news for the people of Lossiemouth who have used our registration scheme to prove that sufficient demand for Broadband exists in the area."

"BT originally set a registration threshold of 350 customers at Lossiemouth based on the investment required to upgrade the exchange. Last month this was cut to 300 as BT celebrated reaching the milestone of a million wholesale Broadband customers."

"Lossiemouth has now reached its target, which is a tremendous achievement for the community, and I'd like to thank all the local campaigners for their efforts in bringing Broadband to the town."

"I have absolutely no doubt that once local people have experiences Broadband, they will find there is no going back to the old, slow, dial-up days."

With access to ADSL Broadband, businesses in Lossiemouth can gain a vital competitive edge in sales, marketing and customer service operations, and make significant savings in their operating costs.

Residential customers served by the local exchange will be able to enjoy life in the fast lane with Internet and e-mail that's 10 times faster than an ordinary connection. Benefits are always-on, near instant e-mail and fast downloading of games, music, films and sporting clips.

Broadband users also have the huge bonus of being able to make and receive phone calls while they are surfing or e-mailing.

People wanting to sign up for ADSL Broadband services should register with an Internet service provider of their choice.

A full list of ADSL service providers is available at www.bt.com/broadband/ with links to their websites.

— The Northern Scot

Call to come on line!

10th July 2003 - The Northern Scot
A CAMPAIGN to bring Broadband Internet access to computer users in a Moray community has gone live.

Broadband4Lhanbryde at www.broadband4lhanbryde.co.uk has been set up to cover the Lhanbryde, Urquhart and surrounding areas by local resident Alan Addison.

Currently, the technology available in Lhanbryde is unable to support the latest Broadband connections which, if implemented, would revolutionise the way the Internet is used in the area.

Many businesses in Elgin and Forres are already taking advantage of Broadband technology to provide better services to their customers, said Mr Addison.

"The upgrading of a rural telephone exchange, such as Lhanbryde, would mean current small businesses can expand their reach by having a permanent presence on-line and be competitive with their larger, city based counterparts," he said.

"In addition, more people would be encouraged to start up small businesses from home, which is good news for employment in the local area."

"The campaign has already had word from local residents who are delaying starting up a business until they get their hands on the latest Internet technology."

Before BT will upgrade the Lhanbryde exchange, residents must register their interest.

— The Northern Scot, Midweek extra

MP squeezes trigger for broadband access

4th July 2003 - The Northern Scot
  A MORAY politician has rallied to a call from Dufftown residents for better Internet communications by heading up a new drive for broadband access.

  Mr Angus Robertson MP has raised the possibility of having a broadband trigger level set for the town with senior Scottish executives.

  The trigger level is the number of Internet users in a telephone exchange area required to register an interest in broadband before BT will make the technology available.

  The Westminister MP's efforts for Dufftown follow on from similar campaigns in Forres and Buckie, where both households and businesses have access to broadband.

  Mr Robertson explained that there is no commitment for anyone registering an interest in then service to install it when it becomes available.

  He said that such technology, which is ten times faster than normal Internet connections, and also allows users to be on the telephone while using the net, would be advantageous to everyone, but in particular businesses.

  "At the moment broadband is available in Elgin, Forres and Buckie, and with nearly 1.5m people now signed up to broadband throughout the UK, it is clear that many are seeing the huge benefits it can offer."

  "Currently Lossiemouth and Findhorn are the only other exchanges in Moray with trigger levels set. Lossiemouth, with 279 registrations, only requires 21 more to reach its level of 300, and I would urge businesses and other residents alike to log on to www.bt.com/broadband to register their interest."

  "Findhorn has a bit further to go with 191 registrations out of 300 required, and again I would urge residents in the Findhorn and Kinloss areas to ensure that broadband becomes available as soon as possible."

  "The next step in expanding Moray's broadband capabilities will be to get trigger levels set for more communities in the region. BT have been very helpful in publicising broadband, and I hope they will give serious consideration to Dufftown being included."

— By Leanne Carter, The Northern Scot