01 July 2009
The Scottish Government is pleased to announce that the main phase of the Broadband Reach Project was completed in May 2009.
There have been around 2,100 broadband installations, which represents a take-up level of over 50% of those households and businesses who registered their demand with us.
Avanti Communications is now currently delivering a broadband service to late registrants to the project.
06 April 2009
We are pleased to announce that today the Reach Project has successfully completed its 1,500th broadband installation.
Furthermore, we are happy to confirm that the Reach Project has now received more than 2,100 orders. Please note that for those who have already registered with the Reach Project, and have received communications from Avanti, the deadline for submission of your final order forms is 30 April 2009.
16 March 2009
The Scottish Government are pleased to advise that Avanti Communications have now published a geographical rollout forecast for the Broadband Reach Project, which will be updated on a weekly basis.
To view this forecast please visit:
http://www.avanti-communications.com/scotland/installation_forecast.htm
20 January 2009
We are pleased to announce that today the Reach Project has sucessfully completed its 1000th broadband installation.
John Swinney MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has recently visited Ardgualich Farm near Pitlochry, a rural farm and tourism business located within Mr Swinney's own constituency which is benefiting from a broadband connection delivered under the project. Please see the following link for further details on the visit: www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2009/02/05162953
11 December 2008
Number of successful installations to date - 554.
Details of the abridged Reach Contract with Avanti Caledonian Broadband Ltd can be found here
Project Update - 28 November 2008
We are pleased to advise you that delivery of the Reach project is now well underway and many registrants have already signed up to receive a service. Don't be alarmed if you registered but haven't been contacted as yet, Avanti will be in touch soon.
To date 491 premises have been activated to receive broadband and feedback has been very positive with individuals praising the service they are experiencing. Deployment is building momentum and we expect to see more connections being made every week. This site will be updated fortnightly to reflect these figures.
There have been some teething problems with equipment failing to withstand the weather conditions on the isles but this has now been resolved and additional securing devices used. If you were affected by this and lost service for more than 48 hours, please contact the Avanti Customer Service team to claim a credit for reimbursement of fees paid for that period.
Broadband Reach Contract - 26 June 2008
We are pleased to announce that the Scottish Government today signed a £3.3M contract to deliver an affordable broadband service to those households and businesses that registered (and were verified) as being out of reach of the technology. Following a competitive open procurement, the selected supplier is Avanti Caledonian Broadband Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of AIM listed Avanti Communications Group Plc). Avanti Communications aims to utilise a mix of technologies, including satellite and wireless, to deliver a broadband solution appropriate to the location and density of those that have made themselves known to the Scottish Government.
Over 3,800 premises spread across numerous areas in Scotland are included in this contract. Rollout of services will start in July and be completed by May 2009 at the latest.
Avanti Communications are now writing to all verified registrants to outline the programme. Further details are also available from their website www.avantiplc.com/scotland, which will also be updated as delivery progresses. A brief Q&A is available below. If you require more details however, please contact Avanti Communications on 020 7749 8100. Thank you.
I registered - will I be offered a broadband service?
Yes. This contract is planning to deliver to those eligible premises which could not access broadband at all and which were registered with us by the end of May 2008.
When will I get a service?
Avanti Communications will start delivering services from July and will complete rollout within a year. Given the wide geography and the number of premises to be individually covered with solutions, delivery will be phased across that timeframe.
Avanti Communications will be in touch with individuals to offer the service and tell them about the programme for installation of services in their area. If individuals sign up for broadband, Avanti will liaise with them to arrange installation at a mutually convenient time.
How much is the service?
The price for a basic 512/256Kbps broadband package is £23.50 (inc VAT) per month. There is no installation/set up cost at all. Higher bandwidths and alternative packages, including business packages, are available at extra cost. For more detail, please see the product sheet on http://www.avantiplc.com/scotland/scottish_broadband2.htm
Can I buy broadband services from any Internet Service Provider (ISP)?
Avanti Communications offer a wholesale services, which are available if other ISPs wish to offer services using the Avanti networks. At the moment we are not aware of any other ISP that has made use of this opportunity.
What technology will be used? Will I be given a satellite dish?
This will depend on the location but it will involve installing either a satellite dish or a small wireless antenna on the premise to receive the broadband service. Avanti Communications will consider solutions largely driven by the number of subscribers in an area, but broadly the solutions will be as follows (but taking into account local topography and other issues):
a) Less than 4 eligible subscribers in an area - direct, individual satellite dishes
b) Between 4-29 eligible subscribers in an area - wi-fi antennae on premises linked to a network with a satellite connection to the internet
c) 30 or more eligible subscribers in an area - radio wireless antennae on premises, linked to a network which connects to the internet via a DSL landline.
Where do I get more details about this service?
More information and updates will be available from www.avantiplc.com/scotland or 020 7749 8100.
Why were Avanti Communications chosen as the supplier?After full evaluation, Avanti Communications had the best bid to meet the requirements of our procurement, offering an affordable broadband solution to all verified registrants within our available budget.