19 August 2005
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is launching a survey that could greatly boost broadband take-up by businesses in Scotland's Western Isles.
Four hundred small and medium sized businesses are participating in the assessment carried out as part of the Broadband In Rural and Remote Areas (BIRRA) project, in which they will be asked what their attitudes are to broadband and what they think are the biggest barriers to local businesses using broadband.
Businesses in the Western Isles have shown great initiative in using the web to boost trade, with 93 per cent of them connected to the Internet.
However, only 6 per cent of these businesses are connected to broadband due to accessibility problems, and this survey is part of a concentrated effort by the local council to address this issue.
Chairman of the Comhairle's sustainable development committee, councillor Archie Campbell said: "Broadband has been identified as a key economic driver for economic regeneration in the Islands.
"The increase in the availability of broadband in the Western Isles is a welcome development towards a higher level of accessibility for our communities.
"The BIRRA project will be an important further step towards realising the full potential of broadband."
Currently, Stornoway is the only part of the Western Isles with broadband access.
However, this will soon be amended, as ADSL is being made available to 13 rural exchanges, which will serve the rest of the region.© Adfero Ltd
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