Hard to reach local communities focus of broadband roll-out

Bosses behind the roll-out of faster fibre broadband to rural parts of Angus have said their focus has now turned to delivering services in “harderto-reach places”.

But critics of the “painfully slow” broadband expansion in the county have said the Scottish Government scheme to deliver broadband for everyone – Reaching 100 – is already more than a year behind schedule with the timetable liable to slip further.

BT company Openreach is leading the ongoing Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) roll-out, which aims to deliver better connectivity across Scotland.

Director Robert Thorburn said more than 17,000 homes and businesses across Angus can now connect to the Digital Scotland network, including the Angus hamlets of Fern and Fowlis.

“Better connectivity right across Scotland means digital progress on every level, from pupils doing homework and communities tapping in to the tourist trade online to virtual assistants like Alexa helping vulnerable people live more independent lives,” he said.

“Our focus in the final few months of the project will be building more small, full-fibre networks capable of gigabit speeds in harder-to-reach places.”

Angus Conservative MP Kirstene Hair said: “While I welcome any news of broadband improvements in Angus, there is a significant risk that any further broadband roll-out in Angus could grind to a halt.

“The Reaching 100 scheme was due to be delivered by 2021 but is now more than a year behind schedule – with possible further delays.”