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October 2018 - Broadband Update

Post in Utilities by Jackie West
Most properties in Achnasheen and from Little Garve to Aultguish are now commissioned. You can order your fibre service now. Great progress between Gorstan and Achanalt

The latest update is below, with the updated map.

Broadband October update
Fast!

Deadline for self-dig invoices: we will need all self-dig invoices by 31 December 2018. Invoices received after this date will not be honoured. Please note the terms for claiming your grant are available for viewing. Don't forget to sign and date your invoice(s), and complete your application form - any submissions will be returned if our guidelines are not followed. Therefore payment will be delayed. We need this to be done for auditing purposes.

Know anyone not on our email contact list?

It's faster, easier and less expensive for us to email all updates, so if you know of anyone in the community with an email address, who currently receives our postal updates, or anyone who wishes to be kept updated by email, please encourage them to sign up to receive updates, at http://eepurl.com/diAxt1… it all helps to save our funds. Thank you!

Progress

Network 1 Achnasheen — fully commissioned and all premises can order an FTTP service.

Network 2 Garve to Aultguish — all properties have now been commissioned, ie you can now order a fibre service, except for Inchbae House and Aultguish which will be completed by the end of the month, and those properties delayed by wayleave requirement from the Forestry Commission:

  • Silvercrest
  • Silverbridge Lodge
  • Tigh Fiodha
  • Garbat
  • Carn View
  • Carn Mhor

Wayleaves have now been agreed, and work is underway at these locations.

Note: all those in Aultguish to Little Garve — if you didn’t get your selfdig done by end August, then you could still get your service commissioned by the end of the year if you get the selfdig done before the end of October. If you want a service quickly, and don’t want to incur unnecessary extra cost for getting it, then get your selfdig done as soon as possible. BTOR are here in the area – make the most of it.

Network 3 Garve to Achanalt — work in progress see map below for detail.

Ordering your service

Check out the Openreach site outlining all the current providers available to you

First fibre customer in Achnasheen

I decided to continue with BT, but I will review when my contract comes up for renewal, and shop around. Once my order was accepted I was kept informed by email and text on the status. No problem with setting a day/time for engineers to call, and was given the option to change the appointment if it became inconvenient. The speed is brilliant - I’m now enjoying download speeds of between 74 and 85 meg/upload between 18 and 27meg, such a difference from the old half a meg (if that some days!).

Connection by the two Openreach engineers was straightforward, the ’box’ fitted in the house, in my office, on the wall, isn’t intrusive (measures approx. 8” x 10”), sits next to the small phone line connection box. New smart hub (6) was provided—easy set up, although the engineers will guide you if you’re not used to dealing with this aspect. They were very helpful/informative. Should only take a couple of hours to install—mine was a little longer as they had to follow the route of the existing cable from the pole to my roof!

Not only has it made a difference to my working day—I work from home—but when relaxing and wanting to download a film from my Sky box, instead of it taking a couple of days, it’s now to watch immediately! Same with YouTube videos, no buffering whatsoever! Skype too, and video calling—all excellent! And no drop outs!

Wifi signal around the house is excellent!

So there you are folks, I’m now in the 21st century broadband-wise. Hope you, too, start to enjoy a more reliable faster broadband soon!

Questions & Comments

Here's what others said...

Blair Millen said:

Wow Jackie, fibre sounds amazing! It's great to hear that all the hard work has paid off!

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