Battle on for better broadband coverage in the Highlands

Local Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson has stressed the Scottish Government’s determination to oversee provision of a modern broadband service for all of Scotland, starting with rural areas previously left behind in early internet coverage.

Already this month, a further £40 million has been announced to improve rural broadband links in Scotland.

However, modern broadband coverage in many remote and sparsely populated areas will have to be provided through alternative technologies as the cost of laying fibre optic cables to every home and business would be prohibitive.

The most economic way of doing this is via the 4G mobile phone network.

But Mr Thompson said there are concerns that Westminster, which has responsibility for telecommunications provision and policy, will fail to compel 4G coverage in sparsely populated areas of Scotland.

While Ofcom, the communications regulator, has increased its coverage obligation from 95 per cent to 98 per cent of the UK population, there are concerns in the industry that the two per cent not covered would largely be found in rural parts of Scotland.

“Without 4G coverage to enable delivery of superfast broadband, this would have to be provided via a ridiculously expensive fibre optic cable network or a satellite link,” said Mr Thompson.

“While the Scottish Government is doing everything it possibly can, this recommendation by Ofcom for Westminster is not helping. The 98 per cent UK requirement must also hold for Scotland too.

“I have been contacted by a leading digital communications company which specialises in provision via the 4G network to express its concern about the level of coverage in Scotland.

“A spokesman for Arqiva stated that, while Westminster may ensure its 98 per cent target for the UK is met with universal coverage in England and more populated areas of the devolved nations, Scotland on its own may only have 90 per cent coverage.

“That missing 10 per cent would predominantly be found in the country’s sparsely populated and difficult to cover areas, such as the West Highlands and Islands.

“That is why I believe that the Scottish Parliament must press for the 98 per cent target to be met in each of the devolved nations too but unfortunately that is a matter reserved to Westminster.”

This week Mr Thompson was pleased to be told that Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which has responsibility for overseeing delivery of superfast broadband, is committed to reaching between 85 and 90 per cent of the area’s population with this by 2015.

HIE has also stated its aim of connecting the remaining 10 to 15 per cent of premises to a different broadband service of at least 2Mb per sec by the same date. Further, HIE has committed to provide the faster broadband connection to the whole region by 2020.

“In selecting BT as the preferred bidder to provide modern broadband coverage for the Highlands, I was pleased recently to be told that HIE intends to ensure that the requirement to provide coverage for the full area is built into the contract with BT,” said Mr Thompson.

“This will mean that a range of technologies will have to be considered to ensure that as many as possible can be covered.

“However, I am concerned that Westminster, will fail to place an obligation to cover the same proportion of Scotland as the UK on companies that bid for the new 4G licences.

“Unfortunately Westminster’s track record on providing up to date infrastructure for rural parts of Scotland does not inspire confidence that this will be achieved.”

Mr Thompson noted that, until the final contract is signed for broadband provision, it is not possible to state how much funding is needed but he noted that £115 million had already been allocated to rural broadband provision in the current year’s budget and that further funds would be made available as work progressed.

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