Broadband availability in Scotland is fast approaching 100% thanks to intervention by the Scottish Parliament, and the rest of the UK could soon follow suit according to a Minister.
Scotland’s Enterprise Minister, Jim Mathers, waxed lyrical about the project which established a website to target black spot areas of little or no connection, and harnessed the power of local authority and regional development agencies to address the issue.
Residents and businesses unable to access the internet were encouraged to register their demand, in order to build a case for the government to intervene and plug coverage gaps in rural areas, allowing businesses to set up shop in remote areas, an approach that could be applied to other countries according to Mathers.
“When you look at the US and Canada, there is a very interesting pattern. Relatively small provinces such as Alberta or British Colombia are cracking on with their broadband deployments,” said Mathers. “By targeting specific areas, you actually improve broadband access faster.”
A £3.5m contract is due to be awarded by the Scottish Parliament in April to rectify the broadband shortage situation, which at present affects 1% of the population. Initial estimates indicate that the annual gross value added to Scotland’s economy by such changes could be as much as £6bn.
However, despite exciting times ahead, a divide will exist between urban and rural areas, with 26% of the Scottish population unable to reach 5Mbits per second for the foreseeable future.
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