A community broadband network connecting households in the Outer Hebrides is set to close at the end of March 2020.

The publicly-funded Connected Communities wireless broadband network was launched in 2005 as part of a collaboration between Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. The network stretched from Barra to Ness in the north of Lewis and provided vital broadband services to homes and businesses.

Many homes and businesses had previously struggled with limited – or no – access to broadband services.

Stuart Robertson, director of digital at HIE, said the network switching off marks the end of an era for connectivity in the Outer Hebrides.

He commented: “Connected Communities had played a vital part in island life for 15 years and switching it off marks the end of an era. It’s helped us run our medical services, our schools, and has linked our people and businesses with the online world.

“Creating ConCom and keeping it going for the past 15 years has been a considerable investment by HIE and our partners that ensured the Outer Hebrides were able to share in the benefits of early broadband.”

HIE has been scaling back the ConCom system as demand steadily decreased. The agency said high costs of the network mean it is “no longer viable” to continue maintaining the service.

The roll-out of fibre broadband across the islands has seen public sector and residential customers switching over to many mainstream services.

The £146m Digital Scotland project, led by HIE, brought superfast broadband to the Outer Hebrides for the first time. This included five subsea cables linking the islands to the mainland.

Today, around 80% of homes and businesses from Barra to Lewis are able to access superfast broadband services.

As the ConCom scales back, Robertson urged customers across the islands to check for alternative solutions ahead of the March deadline.

He said: “There are around 500 remaining customers across the islands. We want to give them as much notice as possible to check for alternative solutions.

“We have advice on our website and also have details of how to contact us for anyone who is struggling to work out what’s available for them.”