Agenda item

Consider report Corporate Transformation and Services Director providing  a further update to elected members on the progress that is being made in delivering improved broadband services in the Scottish Borders.  (Copy attached.)

With reference to paragraph 6 of the Minute of 2 February 2016, there had been circulated copies of a report by the Corporate Transformation and Services Director providing a further update on the progress which had been 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, providing £8.4M over two years to help extend the roll-out as far as possible in the Scottish Borders.  More than 70 new superfast broadband cabinets had been installed as part of the roll-out, connecting over 19,500 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.  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 everyone access to better broadband services in an equitable way.  The Corporate Transformation and Services Director highlighted the key points in the report.  Members expressed concern that despite making a significant financial contribution of £8.4m to the current roll-out of the Scottish Government’s DSSB programme, the service being delivered within areas was inconsistent and depended on a property’s distance from the connection cabinet.  If the cable to a property was longer than 1.2km, then there would likely be no increase in broadband capability.  While a list of such affected properties had been requested, they could only be identified if people signed up to superfast broadband to allow a check to be made on connectivity and download levels/speeds.  A whole postcode area could be marked as ‘live’ with superfast broadband if just one property was connected.  While there were very complex technical issues associated with the infrastructure, the nature of potential solutions was also changing with the dynamics involved.  Discussions were continuing with Scottish Government and the providers.  In relation to the recommendation detailed in paragraph 2.1(b) of the report, the Chairman undertook to let Members have sight of the letter to the Scottish Government before it was sent and advised the letter would also be copied to local parliamentarians.

            DECISION

            AGREED:-

(a)     to note the progress made on delivering the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband Programme as set out in Appendix 1 to the report;

(b)     to express concern over the range of issues affecting the delivery of superfast broadband in the rural areas of the Scottish Borders and that  a letter setting out these concerns and seeking clarification be sent to the Scottish Government and copied to local Parliamentarians;

(c)     that a draft of the letter be issued to Members prior to being sent to Scottish Government;

(e)     to note the work being done with Community Broadband Scotland to tackle gaps in superfast broadband provision across the South of Scotland; and

(d)     to ask the Corporate Transformation and Services Director to prepare a report on the contribution that the new CGI contract could make to the overall improvement of digital connectivity in the Scottish Borders.