“SNP Government apathy” over rural broadband problems 15/9/11
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP Rhoda Grant says she is “disgusted” at the apathy being displayed by Scottish Ministers towards solving broadband connection problems in rural areas.
Scottish Labour has been pressing the SNP Government to invest in rural broadband since it came into power in 2007.
Telecoms industry leader, BT, has also expressed fears that island communities will lose out on broadband connections unless the Scottish Government makes urgent investment. The infrastructure to deliver broadband to rural areas needs vast improvement and community solutions need to be adopted to bring ‘last mile’ connections to some of Scotland’s remotest rural communities.
Mrs Grant said: “I visited the Tegola project in Knoydart in July and was shown first hand how simple, and relatively cheaply, community broadband services can be put in place if the main infrastructure is also in place. The same technology has been used by the Small Isles which now have a network capable of delivering superfast broadband.
“I invited Scottish Ministers to visit the Tegola project to see for themselves how this can be done. I am disgusted that Alex Neil, the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, has refused my invitation. Not only has he refused to visit the project but he has even failed to offer to meet the pioneers of the project instead suggesting that they should contact his officials to discuss the matter.
Mrs Grant continued: “These ‘last mile’ community solutions are being developed out of sheer frustration at the Scottish Government’s apathy towards rural broadband connection. Many of my constituents have no broadband service at all just now, far less a superfast service which Ministers claim to be so keen on rolling out.
“I wanted to stress to Scottish Ministers that if government helps industry in getting improved broadband infrastructure in place, remote rural communities can come up with their own ‘last mile’ connection solutions.
“This refusal by the Minister to visit Knoydart is a real slap in the face to rural Scotland and my constituents throughout the Highlands & Islands are right to feel badly let down by this Scottish Government. If it was not for the limited funding coming to Scotland from Westminster we would have no hope of seeing any kind of improvement as this SNP Government continues to show abject apathy towards our broadband problems.
Mrs Grant said “Broadband connection is absolutely vital for our rural communities in terms of business, economic, social and educational development but also to ensure that individuals and businesses are not forced to leave our rural communities due to connectivity problems. The sooner this SNP Government realises this, the better.”