Hosted solutions could be on the agenda at Shetland meetings

Community leaders and members of the public are being invited to get together to discuss how to make the most of an imminent upgrade to local broadband infrastructure.

The Shetland Islands Council has paid out £1.1 million to improve the prospects for those looking to use hosted solutions and other technology in the region, reported the Shetland Times.

With the first portion of new cable due to go live next month, Shetland Telecom project manager Marvin Smith has advised people to hold meetings to discuss the options that will soon be open to them.

"We're certainly in the position now where we need to have conversations with any groups that are wanting to push forward with better telecommunications in their area," he stated.

Broadband speeds on the islands are due to rise to about 25 Mbps – more than three times the current rate.

Last January, the newspaper told how the council was already looking into ways to improve connections in the Shetlands so that they were on a par with city infrastructure.