Scottish Government reveals full fibre broadband roll-out plan to 2023

In a statement delivered to parliament yesterday, minister for connectivity Paul Wheelhouse said the roll-out of the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% Broadband (R100) programme will now be complete in 2023.

However, Mr Wheelhouse added that the roll-out of future-proofed full fibre broadband means many of the premises which will benefit from the R100 programme will now be able to access speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second instead of the 30 megabits originally proposed.

Mr Wheelhouse said: “This roll-out means Scotland will have enhanced digital connectivity years ahead of the rest of the UK.

“R100 will ensure that Scotland is ahead of the curve, not just in the UK, but internationally. Through our investment, we will extend full-fibre broadband to much of rural Scotland, going beyond our original commitment, and helping to deliver future-proofed economic, social and environmental benefits for the whole country.

“This is one of the most challenging broadband infrastructure builds anywhere in the world, and this, combined with the decision to future-proof our technology, means the work will take time to complete.

“We are also setting up a voucher scheme which will launch later this year. This will provide grants to broadband customers, ahead of the delivery of the R100 contracts, to support access to a range of technologies and suppliers.

“It is disappointing not to be able to announce details of the contract for the North Lot due to a dispute over the awarding of the contract, but the Scottish Government is doing its utmost to ensure that people in the north of Scotland can access superfast broadband through the R100 programme as soon as possible, including through our voucher scheme.”

Any properties which are not targeted through the contracts, or will benefit through contracts after 2021, will be eligible for the Scottish Government’s voucher scheme to ensure all premises have access to superfast by the end of 2021.

The scheme will allow people to obtain superfast broadband from other sources, from satellite operators to fixed wireless/mobile operators and larger fibre suppliers, ensuring superfast access for all premises in the agreed timescale

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said the broadband delay will disappoint firms.

Andrew McRae, FSB’s Scotland policy chair, said: “Scottish broadband infrastructure has improved dramatically over the last few years. But that’s of little comfort to any independent Scottish business that continues to waste time or miss opportunities due to poor connectivity.

“When everyone from the banks to the taxman expects all businesses to have good broadband, this new delay will be bitterly disappointing for many businesses still stuck in the digital slow lane. A new voucher scheme might plug some gaps, but that’s not what firms thought they were promised. At the very least Ministers must deliver on these revised timescales.”