Angus Council Broadband Project

Angus Council partners with an IoT specialist and wireless solutions provider on a proof of concept project to provide wireless broadband.

12:05 16 February 2021

Angus Council has confirmed participation in a wireless broadband project that will use farm buildings for masts. The scheme, which is being carried out in partnership with wireless solutions provider Rapier Systems and internet of things (IoT) specialist Rural Smart, will see the installation of wireless access technology in 22 different farms by the end of third quarter this year. It will also involve the installation of the same technology at rural primary school to bridge the digital gap in the area.

Paul Lindop, project manager at SmartRural, said: “This is genuinely unique in terms of the collaboration and the offering that emerges – being as far as we are aware the first genuine delivery of connectivity ‘from the outside in’ – as oft mentioned in the UK and ScotGov Digital Strategy documents, but never delivered.

“The core is that the parties are playing to their strengths – contributing a critical part of the picture and getting back the value that they are looking for.”

“Rural IoT is not a straightforward business proposition, but we believe that the UK supply chain – hardware and software – has the capability to deliver solutions and access viable business streams if they are prepared to work with us to define and deliver what is needed,” Lindop added. “The Angus deployment presents the opportunity to address this at a meaningful scale.”