Wickers had their eyes on the skies last week as a light aircraft flew over the town\u2019s rooftops displaying an advertising banner from Highland Broadband.<\/p>\n
The 7000 residents of Wick are part the latest community to benefit from Scotland\u2019s fastest broadband, and to celebrate, a plane flew over the town to declare, \u201cScotland\u2019s fastest broadband is here!\u201d<\/p>\n
Following the network rollout of a new 10Gbps Gbps-capable fibre optic network by Highland Broadband, Wick residents can now get a number of different speed packages up to 8Gbps symmetrical upload and download speeds.<\/p>\n
The message reads, ‘Scotland’s Fastest Broadband Is Here!’ Picture: Peter Jolly<\/p>\n
Thirty-eight-year-old Dominic Rigby, who lives in a three-storey house in the town\u2019s harbour area, previously had such a poor broadband connection that he had to negotiate with his two daughters to determine who could watch TV or connect a device to the internet.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur internet here had been shocking for years. If the girls were watching Netflix or Disney+, I would have to throw them off to connect to a work meeting,\u201d said Dominic, who has served as a paramedic for 12 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019d never get through half an hour of a television programme without it buffering, and you used to get a better signal on your mobile phone than from your WiFi. Our last connection was meant to be 44Mbps, and we were lucky to get half that; now we\u2019re signed up to 900Mbps, but we can get 1068Mbps.<\/p>\n
An aeroplane carries a message to mark Highland Broadband bringing Scotland’s fastest broadband to Wick. Picture: Peter Jolly<\/p>\n
\u201cWith Highland Broadband, from the person I spoke to during the setup, to the guy explaining how everything works, it has been great. The guys installing it and the engineer who came later just did everything they said they would.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe faster speed gives us so much freedom and opens up the possibility of all of our devices \u2013 including the TV, tablets, Alexas, doorbell cameras, light switches and heating, all of which work off the WiFi \u2013 being able to be used across the whole house. Not only that, I referred a friend and my dad to sign up for Highland Broadband and got six months free for myself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Highland Broadband says that its delivery engine is the \u201cfastest throughout rural Scotland\u201d, building a network to more than 30,000 rural premises per year. During 2025, Highland Broadband will have provided more than half of the rural premises in the Highlands with access to a full fibre connection. Highland Broadband employs around 250 people across Scotland, with approximately 100 based in the Highlands.<\/p>\n
The aircraft flies over the rooftops of Wick. Picture: Peter Jolly<\/p>\n
Colin Woodward, managing director of Highland Broadband, said: \u201cOur mission is to bring fast, reliable broadband to communities who\u2019ve previously missed out on full fibre, closing the gap in access to all digital services. We are delighted with the number of residents who have signed up for our service and look forward to rolling out our network further throughout the Highlands.\u201d<\/p>\n
Highland Broadband is the only full fibre provider building exclusively in Scotland. The company network is on track to connect 100,000 premises by 2026, resulting in more than 150 towns and villages having access to full fibre connectivity.<\/p>\n
Last month, the village of Halkirk, 16 miles from Wick, also saw connection speeds supercharged to become 3000 times faster on average after the installation of a fibre optic network by Highland Broadband. The village\u2019s population sits at 950 and its Highland Broadband customers now experience speeds of up to 8000Mbps, allowing people from all walks of life the opportunity of seamless streaming and lightning-quick downloads.<\/p>\n
Tanya Horne’s Highland dance school in Halkirk is connected to Highland Broadband. Picture: Peter Jolly<\/p>\n
Tanya Horne, who runs a highland dance school in the village, said reliable broadband will \u201copen up the world\u201d to her young students, while The Ulbster Arms Hotel will use the ultra-fast connection as a major selling point to bring tourism and business to the area. At the Ross Institute, a village hall, the committee has plans to diversify into provision for weddings and conferences, unlocking revenue streams to help meet the facility\u2019s considerable running and maintenance costs.<\/p>\n
Highland Broadband work carried out at Halkirk in January. Picture: DGS<\/p>\n
Highland Broadband\u2019s rollout in Caithness, and other rural areas of the Highlands, Lothians, Fife and Stirlingshire which have experienced poor access to ultra-fast full fibre broadband, was supported by investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank, whose investment is aligned to its mission to reduce place-based inequalities and accelerate opportunity.<\/p>\n