Remote Scottish islands explore 'DIY' superfast broadband
Remote Scottish islands explore 'DIY' superfast broadband
Scottish islanders are considering community efforts to bring faster broadband to the Northern Islands of the Shetlands, amid fears they will be left behind by the official programme to boost internet speeds.
Although BT has pledged to bring faster broadband to 84 per cent of Scotland, there are concerns on the islands of Fetlar, Unst and Yell about when they will be included in the plans. Some of the islands have yet to be surveyed and cannot make applications for cash from the Community Broadband Scotland until that happens.
Businesses are being particularly affected by the slow broadband speeds, with some part of the islands still relying on dial-up internet connections, and others unable to access broadband speeds of more than one megabit a second. They are being hampered by slow connections, which are causing problems for businesses that now have to carry out tasks such as paying tax online.
Meetings were held on the three islands, where a recent survey showed three-quarters of people said broadband was either ‘important’ or ‘critical’ to them.
Development worker Robert Thomson told The Shetland Times that the islands should look at a DIY approach to bringing faster broadband, such as community-led schemes in rural Lancashire, Orkney and the Western Isles. He is exploring the possibility of high speed links using digital technology to reach the outer Northern Islands.
Mr Thomson is now recruiting members to working groups to explore the potential costings and practicalities of various schemes.
MSP Tavish Scott said: “There is no doubt that poor or unreliable internet access constrains business and prevents consumers using the internet to its full potential.
“The Government is continuing to invest in improving broadband across Scotland but the central point is that new money must be targeted on areas where the current service is somewhere between poor and non-existent.”
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