North Tolsta on Lewis is the first in Scotland to test a new technology to increase the speed of fibre broadband over long phone lines.
Around 20 households in the village are taking part in the test by Openreach, BT’s local network business.
The technology, known as Long Reach VDSL, was deployed in the last few days.
BT said initial results are encouraging with most households seeing significant increases in their fibre broadband speeds.
The village was chosen due to what BT called its remoteness plus the fact its fibre cabinet supports a cluster of long lines.
However, the service is unlikely to benefit the most furtherest away communities which may be over two miles from their local cabinet.
Openreach chief executive, Clive Selley, said: “Getting faster speeds to rural communities is one of my biggest priorities, so testing new solutions in the field like this is a crucial part of that process.
“This is a British innovation story, and our world class labs are pioneering a technology which could improve speeds for thousands of homes and businesses across Scotland and the rest of the UK – particularly those connected by long lines that are between 2.5km and 3.5km away from the cabinet.
“Our lab tests prove that Long Reach VDSL has the potential to significantly boost speeds over such lines, which are typically found in remote parts of the UK.
"This trial will provide engineers with more information on how the new technology works in one of the UK’s remotest locations.”
The technology operates at higher power levels and makes use of a wider range of frequencies to increase broadband speeds and the distance over which they can be delivered.
Eligible North Tolsta lines are on the new technology and if it proves successful, they will remain in operation at the higher speed for the foreseeable future.
Island village tests new technology to boost rural broadband speeds
19 August 2016