UPDATE: Mixed messages over whether broadband services will be returned to Strathspey customers

There are conflicting messages over if and when broadband services will be restored to an ISP’s customers in Strathspey.

A dispute between TransmitAIR and mast operators Cellnex UK has meant that the service has been down since Friday (March 28) leaving customers without access to the web.

Cellnex UK has told the Strathy this morning that it has now terminated the contract with TransmitAir after months of trying to find a resolution failed.

Related articles:

Strathspey broadband customers cut-off amidst legal row

Local MP seeking assurance over ‘concerning situation’ in Grantown

However, the ISP (internet service provider) was saying yesterday that progress was being made and the company is still hopeful that an agreement can be reached.

The precise nature of the fall-out has not been made public with it being cited as a legal matter.

A Cellnex spokesperson said: “We’ve been working incredibly hard over a number of months to engage with TransmitAIR and to establish a plan to ensure continuity of services.

“We hoped to reach a resolution, however, all attempts have failed and we were regrettably forced to issue them with a notice to end the contract, resulting in their licence now having been terminated.

“We continue to liaise and co-operate with TransmitAIR’s representatives.”

TransmitAIR told its customers in an update yesterday: “We are confident that the discussions with the mast operator today have made progress towards a solution.

“Although we do not have any specific timescales as of yet we hope to have a constructive reply from them very very soon.

“We realise the lack of fine detail in these updates do nothing to assuage the uncertainty and disruption that all our customers are feeling at the moment.

“We want to assure you we are applying all our legal and civil pressure we can to obtain a resolution that will restore the service you have come to rely on.”

The previous day, TransmitAIR had said its legal team has been in discussions with those of the mast operators ‘but as of yet no conclusive replies have been received that would indicate the timescale involved to resurrect the service’.

The company said: “While we are acutely aware of the disruption this is causing our customers, please be assured we are pressing them for the resolution that would allow is to restore the service that we know many have come to rely on as lifeline for both work and leisure in and around Grantown.”

TransmitAIR has said that more than 70 customers are affected.

They have said that the lack of internet services is having a major impact on their lives especially being in a rural area.

Cellnex UK has rights to license the Laggan Hill mast site to customers for the installation of electronic equipment.

The firm is a wholesale infrastructure provider, engaged in the provision of electronic communications sites and infrastructure to electronic communications service providers.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.