Digital forum to be held

Ways in which the isles could benefit from the roll out of super-fast broadband will be discussed at the latest in a line of digital forums to be held next week.

Director of BT Scotland Brendan Dick and Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s head of digital policy, Stuart Robertson, will be guest speakers at Lerwick’s North Staney Hill Hall on Friday.

Both BT and HIE plan to oversee a £146 million infrastructure investment for speedier broadband to three quarters of the population of northern Scotland in the coming years.

The digital forum has been organised by Shetland MSP Tavish Scott, his Orkney counterpart Liam McArthur and isles MP Alistair Carmichael.

Mr Carmichael said: “The digital forum is a joint effort … to highlight the issues surrounding internet and mobile connections in Orkney and Shetland, and to allow a dialogue between the industry and the various private businesses, regulators and government with a view to resolving them.

“Forum meetings are designed to encourage local people to have their say so that the various industries can know what we really think.”