Press & PR

Scottish officials insist that a new flagship scheme in Scotland to provide the Highlands and Islands with broadband internet access is boosting broadband access in remote areas.

Pathfinder North is a £70 million government project that will provide households in remote areas of Scotland with broadband services, enabling them to take advantage of IP services such as voice over internet telephony (VoIP).

An official report released in November stated that the project had fallen behind schedule and budget, but Highland Council has told BBC Scotland that it is "progressing well", with 11 out of 452 sites due to be connected by 2009 now completed.

"The partnership continues to work hard to meet agreed target dates to deliver the benefits this project will bring to children, schools, and the wider community through the roll-out of high speed broadband access," Highland Council said in a statement.

New services are being put in place across the Highlands, Argyll and Bute, Shetland, Moray, Orkney and the Western Isles. The first sites went live in Argyll and Bute before Christmas 2007, providing residents with an "affordable" broadband internet service.

The Scottish government is attempting to deliver "an affordable, sustainable, broadband service to those households and businesses who are currently unable to access a broadband service". Those wishing to be included in the project have registered their interest with the government or the Enterprise Networks.

More and more people are discovering the benefits of using broadband connections to make cheap calls across the UK and abroad.

Vonage's V-Plan 2 offers free inclusive calls to 15 countries including the UK for just £7.99 a month.