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An innovative method of delivering fibre broadband has been launched on the Orkney island of Papa Westray, through an existing water network. Thanks to cables laid within the island’s community-owned water pipes, almost all properties can now enjoy full fibre broadband. Previously, poor connectivity had plagued the island community, preventing residents from accessing remote healthcare and other services. Installation of the broadband network using the pipes took around eight months and was carried out by local contractors, CloudNet.
The water network’s community ownership helped facilitate the project and proved more efficient than conventional cable-laying methods. In addition to the broadband, remote sensors placed in the pipe also enable hi-tech monitoring of the water quality on the island. It is hoped that the success of the project may encourage similar schemes elsewhere in hard-to-reach regions. Ian Cursiter, a Papa Westray farmer and water board supply engineer, is one of those to benefit from the new service. The broadcast feeds allow him to monitor the birth of calves remotely, reducing the potential for interference and stress on animals.
CloudNet received funding for the project through the Scottish government’s Reaching 100% (R100) programme. According to Greg Whitton, the company’s Managing Director, utilising water pipes for fibre has advantages over requiring land excavation, allowing over a kilometre of cable to be run without extra land disruption. Although the project had presented many design challenges, he said, working closely with the local community had helped find a successful solution
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