Lismore exchange to be upgraded to facilitate better broadband access

The telephone exchange on Argyll’s Isle of Lismore is currently operating at or approaching capacity for broadband provision.

BT and the Scottish Government have been working to enhance rural broadband provision, with a further 79 telephone exchanges being upgraded across Scotland. This includes the Lismore exchange.

Welcoming the latest upgrades, Enterprise Minister and Argyll’s MSP, Jim Mather, says: ‘This is excellent news for people living and working near the Lismore telephone exchange, especially local businesses who need a competitive advantage during this economic downturn.

‘The Scottish Government is working with BT to improve Scotland’s broadband infrastructure. We want to see more people in rural areas – including the business community – enjoy the benefits of being connected’.

Brendan Dick, director, BT Scotland, says: The Lismore exchange is being upgraded to full platform ADSL broadband which means that consumers and businesses in these remote areas will be able to benefit from broadband speeds of up to 8Mb before the end of the year.  That’s considerably faster than the maximum 0.5Mb speed currently available at these exchanges.

‘Both upgrades have been extremely challenging for BT, involving a huge amount of planning, negotiations over the acquisition of land and the creation of new radio transmission links at both sites, so it’s great to see all the effort pay off for the people of Lismore’.

The upgrades announced today are expected to be completed later this year.

Due to high broadband take-up, a number of telephone exchanges in rural areas of Scotland have not been able to accommodate new broadband users for some time because of capacity constraints. The Scottish Government announced in September 2009 that it was working with BT to agree an upgrade programme by looking at areas most in need.

In addition to upgrades announced today (for Lismore  and for Vidlin in Shetland), work to enhance a further 79 exchanges is underway in Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire, the Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Forth Valley, the Highlands and Islands, Lanarkshire, Lothian, Moray, Orkney, Renfrewshire, Shetland and Tayside. The first of these upgrades was completed earlier this month.