Trials used fast ADSL connections

The company said the introduction of broadband technology should bring significant social and economic benefits to outlying communities.

The BT project began last December and was aimed at assessing the practicality of providing remote areas with high-speed services.

The broadband connection means faster internet access, quicker download times and the ability to make and receive phone calls while online.

The trials, which took place in Drumnadrochit by Loch Ness, and Muir of Ord by the Beauly Firth, were found to be both commercially and technologically viable.

My work online is now far more spontaneous and efficient Gordon Allison, IT consultant

Local exchanges were connected to high-speed ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) broadband, providing access 10 times faster than conventional phone connections.

Sponsors Highlands and Islands Enterprise invested �14,000 in the initial project, alongside BT's �1m investment in equipment.

BT said the social and economic benefits of broadband in rural Scotland transform the way businesses in remote areas work.

It claimed the connection saved firms both time and money.

Trialist Gordon Allison runs Nexus db, an IT consultancy for large organisations, primarily universities and colleges in Scotland.

"I can now manage my servers from Drumnadrochit as though I am sitting beside them in Edinburgh," said Mr Alison.

"My work online is now far more spontaneous and efficient."