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Scotland is often described
affectionately as a "wee country". It is currently working extra hard
out in the field to make sure the well-documented "Digital Divide"
doesn't get any bigger.
Residential and commercial realities take on a new dimension on
realising almost 1-in-5 Scots can be found in rural locations. Of an
estimated 790 islands communities a mere 1-in-8 is inhabited.
An unreported key Scottish Parliamentary debate "noted with concern"
persistent challenges over digital connectivity in rural locations
impacting on businesses, healthcare, education, households. Everything
really.
That's a lot of folks whose daily digital concerns all appear a million
miles away from Big Tech land where digital commercial giants continue
in endless global turf battles in their pursuit of eye-watering profits.
The Scottish Parliament's Deputy Convenor for the Rural Affairs and
Islands Committee MSP Beatrice Wishart pointed to some of those
realities that urgently require more traction when it comes to overdue
digital enhancement.
MSPs heard Ofcom report details where 25 per cent of Shetland households
experience broadband speeds of less than 30Mbps. The Scottish
Government's initial ambition was to connect every household to
superfast broadband by 2021 through the R100 programme.
Broadband Connectivity
Concerns
Rollout will now be several years late scheduled sometime during 2028.
Also, a reported intention of telecoms companies to retire copper phone
line networks replacing them with digital fibre connections is now due
by 2027.
The motion declared: "The Parliament notes with concern reports that
many households are unable to switch to digital phone lines due to lack
of broadband connectivity in their area.
"Causing particular problems for customers with healthcare devices that
use the phone line; or those who live in areas with poor mobile phone
signal."
Disappointment was expressed that rural and island areas continue to
face such difficulties particularly, in light of increasingly frequent
adverse weather events carrying with them risks of power outages.
Adding "poor 4G has negative implications for businesses and education."
Also many are unable to be connected to smart meters due to poor
connectivity of the network in their area.
Latest figures reveal less than 10 per cent of households in Scotland's
island group have meters. It is understood they still use legacy radio
switch meters with Scotland having a higher proportion in this grouping
compared with other parts of the UK.
Here, it's also a concern as the radio teleswitch signal is due to be
switched off by 30 June, 2025 which, it is believed, could leave
households "stuck paying higher tariffs".
Scotland's Digital Way Forward
Business leader Scott McGlinchey sums up neatly the state of rural
connectivity in Scotland: "Great strides have been made over the last
ten years with accessibility and speed but there is a bit to go,"
reports the director of Exception, the country's leading indigenous
Cloud and Digital transformation experts.
In a nutshell such a divide remains detrimental to rural life and at
odds in today's so-called ultra-modern world. What with all the advances
in heavily-marketed generative artificial intelligence (AI), augmented
reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) and the like.
Just think about it for a digital moment.
You've moved to the beautiful Scottish Highlands having left the City
behind, but plan to keep very much in the social not to mention
financial flow of things.
Then you discover, to your horror, you must somehow communicate via
legacy radio switch signals. More cat's whiskers, you might have
embraced as a kid, rather than bluetooth.
As I said earlier we're often described as a wee country and the
Scottish Government's injection of £3 million in funding, to help
improve island community lives and build prosperity through a series of
critical infrastructure projects is welcome and timely.
Scotland will surely pull together digitally. To ultimately strengthen
what is a growing reputation as an Investor Hub on the key northwest tip
of Europe. |
