News / Broadband service is ‘unacceptable’, say Tories
SHETLAND’S Conservative candidate for next year’s Scottish parliament election says the provision of broadband in the isles is “unacceptable”.
Cameron Smith said that both availability and speed of internet access in Shetland was “not up to the job” for a modern economy. He said the party would pledge to double funding levels for rural broadband.
It came as research from Go ON UK showed that 14.4 per cent of isles households do not even receive speeds of two megabits per second (Mbps) – the government’s own definition of “basic” broadband.
Shetland is one of the places in the UK most likely to experience digital exclusion, with Go ON UK suggesting nearly 20 per cent of adults in Shetland have never been online.
It also follows criticism from the local telecoms industry of the limitations of BT’s rollout of “superfast” broadband. They pointed out, because it is not using fibre from cabinets to properties, the BT project will fall short of delivering fast speeds to many households and businesses.
The project targets having 76 per cent of isles properties connected by the end of 2016. But Ian Brown of Shetland Broadband said that did not necessarily mean those properties would achieve “superfast” speeds, adding it was “totally legal, but morally wrong, to be describing this project as ‘fibre’.”
“Much more needs to be done to deliver true broadband to communities across Shetland,” Tory candidate Smith said.
“Only last week Shetland Broadband and Shetland Telecom spoke of their disappointment at the low targets set and even lower speeds delivered by BT and the Scottish Government’s Community Broadband Scotland.
“Scottish Conservatives share this disappointment, and that [is] why we have committed to doubling funding under a new rural broadband scheme that would deliver solutions for all communities, and not only the easily-connected 95 per cent of Scotland.”
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