CUNNINGHAME North MSP Kenneth Gibson has expressed his delight at the availability of fibre broadband on the island of Arran.

The first 1,400 premises in parts of Brodick, Lamlash, Shiskine and Whiting Bay in Arran are now part of the brand new fibre optic network.

Residents can check their telephone number or postcode on an interactive checker at www.hie.co.uk/whereandwhen.

This is just the start of roll-out and more will follow in these communities and in other Arran villages this year.

The roll-out is part of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) project, led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), to bring better broadband to homes and businesses which could not be reached by the private sector’s commercial fibre broadband programme.

The coverage forms part of a three-year £146m investment, funded by the SNP Government, UK Government, HIE and private sector partner BT, with engineers from BT’s local network business Openreach delivering the project on the ground.

Cunninghame North MSP Kenneth Gibson said: “I am delighted that Arran is now receiving the investment it deserves. It has been a long time coming and – initially – I had to persuade HIE to include Arran in the programme. Now that so much hard work is coming to fruition, HIE and BT are to be congratulated for bringing vital service to the island. At present plans are to cover 97 per cent of the island, with an area around Machrie omitted for topographical reasons. I am pressing BT to look again at this and I have no doubt they will respond positively.”

Stuart Robertson, HIE’s director of digital, commented: “It’s great to see availability of next generation broadband arrive for the first homes in Arran and slightly ahead of schedule. More will follow soon because of the public investment.

“It’s important to stress people aren’t upgraded automatically. To obtain a fibre based service you have to order it though an Internet Service Provider.”