The sacred island of Iona, which is home to just 170 people, is receiving some of the fastest broadband connections on the continent.
A small island off the coast of Scotland, considered by historians to be the “cradle” of Scottish Christianity, will receive the fastest broadband in Europe.
Engineers from Openreach, a digital network and a subsidiary of the British telecommunications company BT Group, stated in a press release that they are laying the groundwork for full fiber broadband connectivity in Iona, a remote island off the coast of Mull in the Inner Hebrides, on the west coast of Scotland.
The broadband, regarded by Openreach as “one of the fastest and most reliable in Europe,” will connect the island’s 170 full-time residents and the more than 100,000 pilgrims and tourists who visit each year.
Iona is one of the most important Christian sites in Scottish history and the burial place of around 40 Scottish kings, including Kenneth I, the founder of medieval Scotland, according to Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
According to history, Saint Columba established a monastery on the island in 563 AD, making it the “cradle of Christianity in Scotland,” HES continued. The island then became an important center of religion, learning, and literacy.
Ensuring that broadband does not cause “any disturbance”
The cables are being installed along historic roads from the main village of Baile Mòr, passing through a nearby conservation area. They also pass by three of the island’s historic monuments.
Harrie Burney, property manager for the National Trust for Scotland, stated in a press release that the works are “scheduled to carefully manage” the historic monuments and heritage of the island.
“We are working with the engineers to carry out archaeological monitoring and ensure that we do not cause any disturbance, but there is also the opportunity to make new discoveries along the way,” Burney added.
The chief engineer of Openreach, Fraser Rowberry, said that the “main consideration” for this construction is to protect nearby archaeological sites.
Iona is one of the forty Scottish islands that will benefit from the Scottish government’s Reaching 100% (R100) contracts, which will connect around 113,000 homes and businesses to faster broadband.
Source: pt.euronews.com