Remote Scottish island home to 170 people will get Europe’s fastest internet

A holy island off of the coast of Scotland sees engineers descend onto the land to lay the ground for some of the fastest and reliable broadband. 

The island of Iona is about to be transformed after its 170 residents will be equipped with the speediest broadband connections on the continent. 

Iona is an extremely sacred island considered by many historians to be the birthplace of Scottish Christianity. Home to less than 200 people, the island sees more than 100,000 pilgrims and tourists descend on the island every year who will now be able to make use of the super fast connection. 

Openreach, a subset of British telecom company BT Group, released a statement on Tuesday stating that they are laying the ground for full-fibre broadband connectivity on Iona. The remote island is just off the coast of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. 

Engineers said it will be “some of the fastest, most reliable broadband in Europe”.

Openreach is working with the National Trust for Scotland to ensure minimal disturbance to the island and its historical monuments. 

Cables will be laid along historical roads from the main village of Baile Mor through a nearby conservation area, also passing by three of the island’s notable monuments. These include the Iona Nunnery, MacLean’s Cross and the Iona Abbey.

Harrie Burney, property manager for the National Trust for Scotland, said in a press release that the works are “scheduled to manage” the historical monuments and heritage of the island.

Burney said: “We’re working with the engineers to put archaeological monitoring in place and make sure we’re not going to cause any disturbance, but there’s also an opportunity to uncover new finds along the way,

“Connectivity on Iona is a real issue and something that’s very important to the population here. There’s been a real buzz around the connectivity improving, so this project will make a huge difference.”

Fraser Rowberry, the Openreach chief engineer for Scotland, said: “As anyone who’s been to Iona knows, it’s a truly special and spiritual place. Its historic and environmental importance make it an ultra-sensitive build location.

“Our top considerations have been protecting precious archaeological sites like the Street of the Dead and the grounds of the Abbey, avoiding the corn crake breeding season and making sure we don’t disrupt the tourist trade, which is vital for the local economy.