Agenda item

Consider report by Corporate Transformation and Services Director providing an update on the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband Programme. (Copy attached.)

DIGITAL SCOTLAND SUPERFAST BROADBAND ROLL-OUT UPDATE

With reference to paragraph 6 of the Council Minute of 26 June 2013, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Corporate Transformation and Services Director providing an update on the progress being made in delivering the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme in the Scottish Borders.  The report explained that Scottish Borders Council had contributed strongly to the roll-out of the DSSB programme, providing £8.4m over two years to help extend the roll-out as far as possible in the Scottish Borders. To date, 70 new superfast broadband cabinets had been installed as part of the roll-out, enabling the provision of new services to over 17,500 premises in the Scottish Borders.  The roll-out would continue until the end of 2017, aiming to serve approximately 94% of all the premises in the area.  The Scottish Government had also put in place the Community Broadband Scotland (CBS) programme to support those communities and locations where the DSSB roll-out would not reach.  However officers were concerned about the limitations of this initiative.  Although good progress was being made with the DSSB programme, there was a range of challenging issues still to be addressed in relation to providing superfast broadband services across the Scottish Borders.  These issues presented a significant impediment to allowing all communities to access the Broadband services in an equitable way.  The DSSB programme would cover less than 94% of premises in the Borders, which meant around 6% of premises, mainly in remoter rural areas, would not be covered by Superfast Broadband and may only have access to slower broadband services, or have no broadband access at all.  There was a need for a national solution to this issue, for a programme to cover the remaining 5-6% of premises in the Scottish Borders and other areas of rural Scotland.  It was proposed to raise these issues with the Scottish Government when the South of Scotland Alliance met the Deputy First Minister on 8 February 2016.  In discussing the report Members raised serious concerns about the unsatisfactory situation of the apparent two levels of Broadband provision which was unacceptable to outlying areas.  Attention was also drawn to apparent ‘grey’ areas where properties were quite proximate due to settlement pattern but which were still not within connection distances to the new superfast broadband cabinets.  Members agreed with a suggestion that in remote areas the provision of radio broadband masts could perhaps be considered along with new development and included in the consideration of planning applications.  It was also agreed that an updated list was required to indicate, within the DSSB programme, the numbers of premises in the Scottish Borders connected to Superfast Broadband, the number waiting for connection and the number who would not be connected.  Members discussed the recommendations of the report.  It was agreed the second recommendation should be strengthened but there was a division of opinion about the wording of the first:

VOTE

Councillor Bhatia, seconded by Councillor Cook, moved that the first word of the first recommendation be changed from ‘Welcome’ to ‘Note’.

Councillor Brown, seconded by Councillor Moffat, moved as an amendment that the wording of the first recommendation be unchanged.

On a show of hands Members voted as followed:-

Motion             5 votes

Amendment     2 votes

The motion was accordingly carried.

DECISION

(a)        DECIDED to note the progress made on delivering the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme;

(b)       AGREED to:

(i)      express concern at the range of issues affecting delivery of Superfast Broadband in the rural areas of the Scottish Borders;

(ii)     request the South of Scotland Alliance to discuss the Superfast Broadband connectivity issues raised in this report with the Deputy First Minister at their meeting on 8 February 2016; and

(iii)    request an updated list to be circulated to Members indicating, within the DSSB programme, the number of premises in the Scottish Borders that:-

(1)     were connected to Superfast Broadband;

(2)     would be connected by the end of the programme; and

(3)     would not be connected.

MEMBERS

Councillors Davidson and Edgar left the meeting.