Lothian Broadband and Mimosa Unite to Offer Super-Fast Broadband

Lothian Broadband has mastered the art of bringing super-fast broadband to even the most far-flung agricultural operations and homes in the farming community of East Lothian, Scotland. Residents and local businesses are no longer being left behind in the digital race, as Lothian’s fiber-fast fixed wireless network has grown to meet the needs, and exceed the expectations, of their customers.

IoT Drives Demand

Despite the rural location, the work of the local farming community and the surrounding businesses is increasingly reliant on a superfast internet connection to ensure smooth and efficient operations. Some of the mission-critical IoT applications now required by industrial farms include internet-connected grain-drying systems where farmers can remotely monitor and control drying equipment, connected video cameras to monitor livestock and operations in real time, and connected voltage and temperature sensors to monitor water leaks and troubleshoot system issues.

Started in 2015, Lothian Broadband’s fixed wireless network has flourished to transmit reliable, super-fast broadband directly to these demanding and hard-to-reach subscribers. Using Mimosa B5 and B5-Lite backhaul links to connect to their network of fiber-fed masts, Lothian is successfully deploying Mimosa’s signature hybrid-fiber-wireless architecture to achieve speeds in excess of 200 Mbps. “Planning and installation were a breeze,” said Ian Smith, Director of Lothian Broadband. “We used Mimosa’s Design Tool to check link feasibility, the radios were easy to set up and as a result, we were able to deploy each link in just a few hours.”

Step-change in Speed and Sophistication for Local Communities

In addition to ultrafast speeds, Smith has seen increased resilience in his network thanks to the B5’s ability to transmit data on two separate 20 MHz channels. With the network improvements, Lothian’s subscribers have been able to take advantage of bandwidth-hungry applications to stream video and even work from home in the local villages and hamlets, changing the digital landscape in East Lothian. According to Smith, “The Mimosa B5 offered a step-change in speed and sophistication compared to products we had previously been using.”

Lothian Broadband is looking ahead to expand their network coverage into Midlothian and beyond. “We are thrilled with the opportunities our super-fast broadband has created for our local communities,” said Smith. “Mimosa is integral to helping us fulfill our mission of bringing this ultrafast connectivity to the underserved.”

“We are excited to partner with the innovative team at Lothian Broadband,” said John Colvin, SVP of Global Field Operations at Mimosa. “Together, Lothian Broadband and Mimosa can transform the digital landscape in Scotland, showing rural communities the unlimited possibilities of exceptional broadband connectivity.”

“We are thrilled with the opportunities our super-fast broadband has created for our local communities.”