Agenda item

There had been circulated copies of report by the Executive Director updating Members on the progress being made in delivering improved broadband services in the Scottish Borders.   Digital connectivity was critical to the economic development and competitiveness of the Scottish Borders.  Scottish Borders Council had contributed significantly to the roll-out of the Scottish Government’s Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme, spending £8.4M over two years to help extend the roll-out as far as possible in the Scottish Borders.  The Council Administration had identified digital connectivity as a key priority in its ‘Connected Borders’ plan.  More than 130 new superfast broadband cabinets and exchange upgrades had been delivered as part of the roll-out, connecting over 31,800 premises in the Scottish Borders.  Figures provided by the DSSB programme indicated that up to the end of September 2017, 82.7% of premises had been connected to fibre enabled cabinets or exchanges.  The DSSB roll-out, with added ‘Gainshare’ funding, would continue until the end of 2018, and aimed to connect 94.9% of all the premises in the area.  Although progress was being made in delivering the DSSB programme, there remained a number of challenging issues to be addressed in relation to providing superfast broadband services across the Scottish Borders.  One of the key issues was that although a home or business might be connected to the new fibre enabled technology, if they were located too far from the cabinet or exchange, then it was likely that there would be no improvement in their broadband service.  This was acknowledged as the ‘long lines’ issue. The Scottish Government had announced its commitment to investing £600m to extend superfast broadband access to 100% of premises across Scotland by the end of 2021.  The Scottish Government was delivering a national approach to this issue, putting in place a “Reaching 100% Programme” (R100) to cover the remaining premises where the DSSB roll-out would not reach.  As well as providing connections for those premises that had not been covered by the DSSB roll-out, R100 would also addressed the ‘long lines’ issue.  The R100 programme also raised the superfast broadband speeds being targeted, up from 24Mbps to 30Mbps.

2.2       Members discussed the report and agreed the importance of the facilitation of a Scottish Borders Digital Network.  It was also suggested that representatives from the Network be invited to attend Local Area Partnership meetings, when appropriate.  Members also requested that accessible information should be available on the Council’s website and include the planned rollout timescales.  In response to questions, Mr McGrath clarified that the target of 93.8% was the original target specified with BT Open Reach for connection of premises to Superfast Broadband.  However, although connections might be in place, this did not mean that all properties would be connected immediately, and this would be one of the challenges the R100 programme sought to address.

DECISION

(a)        NOTED:-

            (i)         the progress made on delivering the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme, as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(ii)        the delays with Community Broadband Scotland being experienced by local community groups and raise these concerns with the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity in the letter agreed in (c)(i) below.

(b)        WELCOMED the Scottish Government announcement that the R100 tender         process was underway.

(c)        AGREED:-

            (i)         to write to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity                    to encourage the Scottish Government to maximise the full-fibre                                 coverage in the R100 programme, to promote an ‘Outside-In’                                     approach to its delivery and to urge that work on the programme                            started as quickly as possible for the Scottish Borders;

(ii)        that the Executive Director to work with partners in adjoining local   authorities to develop a viable application to the Local Full Fibre                         Network Challenge Fund, noting that it might be delivered through the        City Regional Deal partnership or the South of Scotland Economic                     Partnership;

(iii)       to ask the South of Scotland Economic Partnership to make Digital Connectivity, uptake of digital services and the development of digital skills for businesses and individuals a priority for the Interim Arrangements Workplan;

            (iv)       to express concern over the range of issues affecting the delivery              of superfast broadband in the rural areas of the Scottish Borders and                ask that these were raised with The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet                        Secretary when they met the South of Scotland Alliance in February                      2018;

            (v)        to the facilitation of a Scottish Borders Digital Network to encourage                       coordination and information sharing between key local stakeholders                         with an interest in digital; and

            (vi)       that the Executive Director to prepare a further update report once                         the outcome of the initial R100 procurement was available.