Internet service provider declares with ‘heavy heart’ it is pulling out of Strathspey

Transmitair has officially confirmed it is closing down its internet service in Strathspey although customers have been without connection for nearly two months.

An unpaid account was the reason behind customers in Grantown and the surrounding area losing their connection early last month

Transmitair customers were left high and dry because of a dispute between the internet service provider and mast server Cellnex UK.

The telecoms infrastructure company said they had terminated their contact with TransmitAir because of an unpaid account dating back to May, last year, for the use of their site at Laggan Hills by Dulnain Bridge.

They said they had tried to reach a resolution through several means including a payment plan to clear the debt and avoid service shutdown but that had not been possible.

Now TransmitAir has confirmed that it is ending the service in the strath with a ‘heavy-heart’.

Director Richard Watson revealed in a statement posted online: “It is with a heavy heart that we share some difficult news.

“After much reflection and many tough conversations, we have made the decision to close down the Transmitair service in Strathspey.

“We know how much this service has meant to so many of you and we cannot fully express how grateful we are for your support, trust, and enthusiasm since we connected our first customer in late 2022.

“We launched Transmitair in Strathspey with the hope of bringing fast and reliable internet to those overlooked by larger providers.

“Thanks to your belief in us, we were able to build something truly special.

“Over the past several months, we’ve explored every possible avenue to keep the service running including intensive negotiations with alternative suppliers.

“Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, those discussions did not result in a viable path forward.

“We recognise the upheaval and disruption this has caused, and for that, we are deeply sorry.

“Please know that this decision was not made lightly.

“We will soon begin the process of removing the network infrastructure. Each of you will be contacted personally to arrange the safe removal of antennae and routers from your homes.

“If you have any specific requirements for when our engineers visit, please let us know we will do our best to accommodate them.

“You will have the option for us to leave the bracket, in order for you to be able to offer this to any potential new provider or indeed for your own alternative use, otherwise we will remove everything we installed and any holes drilled by our engineers will be filled with appropriate silicone sealant.

“To every user, supporter, and believer in what we built — thank you. It has been an honour to serve you, and we did not intend for this to happen.”

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