Slow broadband and delivery fees hit rural business

RURAL businesses are affected by unreliable broadband and surcharges on deliveries, a report has found.

The Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) survey asked small and medium enterprises (SMEs) about digital connectivity and postal services.

A third of those questioned said they had a poor or variable broadband service. This total rose to 45 per cent in rural areas.

Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) of businesses surveyed said they were hit with delivery surcharges for online orders due to their location and 21 per cent reported delays in online deliveries for the same reason.

For delivery surcharges this rose to 66 per cent of those in small rural towns, 74 per cent of those in remote areas and 87 per cent of those in the Highlands and islands.

Those who said post is core to their business were twice as likely to report having poor broadband than businesses less reliant on postal services, at 26 per cent compared with 13 per cent.

About one in five, or 19 per cent, of SMEs said they ‘could not function’ without the postal service. Two in five said the Post Office is very important, with 32 per cent viewing it as fairly important.

CAS chief executive Derek Mitchell said the performance ‘simply isn’t good enough’ and the organisation called for further action to ensure policies take account of rural areas.

‘Scotland needs postal and broadband services that are reliable, efficient and affordable,’ he said, adding that the data will be shared with the UK and Scottish governments and postal services.