First Homes LIVE on New East Lothian Wireless Broadband Network

The first 12 homes have now been connected to a new “superfast” capable fixed wireless broadband network, which is fuelled by a grant of £152,000 and will soon cover around 250 premises in the Humbie, Fala and neighbouring areas in East Lothian and Midlothian (Scotland).

The project, which is support by the Community Broadband Scotland (CBS) initiative and the Dun Law Extension Community Benefit Trust (DLECBT), was first touted in July 2015 (here) and is being delivered by Lothian Broadband, which ran a “successful pilot” of the service to a handful of houses in 2013.

Previously the best connectivity that locals could access was an ancient ADSL MAX (up to 8Mbps) service on BT’s infrastructure, which in many parts reportedly struggled to get above 2Mbps. By comparison the new service can deliver download speeds of 25Mbps (5Mbps upload), with prices starting at £30 per month for a 40GB usage allowance (a slower 10Mbps option can also be taken for £25). A £150 one-off installation charge applies.

Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, said:

“Our rural communities make a crucial contribution to Scotland and improving digital connectivity doesn’t just boost economy opportunities, it transforms the way people live, work and learn, particularly in remote and rural Scotland.

The HumbieNET project in East Lothian is a good example of the work that Community Broadband Scotland is taking forward throughout the country to bring broadband to homes and businesses in hard-to-reach communities.

With each project, CBS is extending Scotland’s growing broadband infrastructure, reaching further into these rural and remote areas, and this supports the Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver world class connectivity.”

The scheme is being managed by the not-for-profit Humbie & Lammermuir Community Enterprise Ltd (HLCE). Meanwhile engineers will continue to build the new Humbie network, which consists of an initial 8 masts, and they expect this to be completed by the end of this year.