SCOTLAND’S islands and remote communities have been left behind in the £412 million roll-out of high speed broadband, according to a spending watchdog.
The major public investment in digital infrastructure was billed as a move to render remoteness irrelevant by enabling businesses in fragile rural communities the chance to compete and prosper.
But while good progress has been made in urban areas, island MSPs say their constituencies have been pushed to the back of the queue.
Read more: Herald View - Rural areas must not be left behind by broadband
In 2013, the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) separately contacted BT to extend the existing fibre network nationwide.
Alongside commercial coverage, the contracts were intended to provide broadband access to 85 per cent of premises, homes and businesses by March 2016, and 95 per cent by December 2017.
The total value of the contacts awarded were £412m; broken down into £146m for the Highlands and Islands and £266m for the rest of Scotland.
An Audit Scotland report published today said 86 per cent of premises across Scotland had access to fibre broadband by March 2016 – one per cent more than the original target.
But the report warned much of the work had been concentrated on more accessible communities while the remaining premises are expected to be more challenging.
Read more: Herald View - Rural areas must not be left behind by broadband
While 26 of Scotland’s 32 council areas had met contractual targets, those remaining were likely to need more complicated and costly engineering solutions. These areas also currently receive lower average speeds.
They are Argyll and Bute, Highland, Moray, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.
Map colour code: Dark grey areas - commercial coverage, pink areas - access provided by public/BT rollout
Caroline Gardner, Auditor General for Scotland, said: “There is a lot still to be done by the Scottish Government if it is to achieve its vision of a world class digital infrastructure, particularly in improving download speeds in rural areas. It’s important it continues to monitor the cost and progress of broadband rollout so these communities aren’t excluded”.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing welcomed the report and insisted that “100 per cent of properties across Scotland will be able to access superfast broadband by 2021”.
Read more: Herald View - Rural areas must not be left behind by broadband
It is not just the islands that have seen problems.
Alison Grieve, who runs the Loch Leven Seafood a cafe on the north side of Loch Leven, said broadband speeds could be “horrendously slow”.
“I have been trying to pay the wages today, but it has been almost impossible,” she said.
However, Stuart Robertson, director of digital at HIE, said more than eight out of 10 premises will be completed by the end of 2016.
Liz Mallinson, fibre broadband director for BT Scotland, said: “High-speed broadband has now reached some very small and remote communities across the country, including parts of Shetland, Orkney and the Outer Hebrides, none of which were included in the market’s commercial investment plans.”
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