THE BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

Since 1994 the Western Isles have been at the forefront of creating and enabling jobs for teleworkers, office based workers and indeed any job which can be undertaken over an internet connection.

From 1995 to 2001 the Western Isles ICT Advisory Service has been funded in two phases through ERDF with additional funding from Western Isles Enterprise and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar. Over that time great progress was made in attracting inward investment companies and in the growth of local ICT companies. Teleworking also helped create a number of home based work opportunities especially in areas were no options for office based jobs existed. In 1999 The ICT Advisory Service won the European Telework Award as one of the top telework enterprises in Europe.

From Jan 2002 to Dec 2004 the Work Global ICT Business Development Program has continued the development work except for e-business which now has a separate development initiative through Highlands & Islands Enterprise and locally through Western Isles Enterprise. For more information on these development programs see www.work-global.com.

As the sector has developed lack of broadband has become the single biggest challenge in the Western Isles and Connected Communities is now the initiative to make this happen.

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