Meeting of the Parliament [Draft]

Meeting date: Thursday, June 27, 2024

Official Report 988KB pdf

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Rural and Island Digital Connectivity Challenges

The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S6M-13640, in the name of Beatrice Wishart, on rural and island digital connectivity challenges. The debate will be concluded without any question being put. Members who wish to speak should press their request-to-speak buttons.

Motion debated,

That the Parliament notes with concern that many households in rural and island Scotland face challenges regarding digital connectivity; understands that Ofcom reports that 25% of Shetland households have broadband speeds of less than 30Mbps; further understands that, despite the initial Scottish Government ambition to connect every household to superfast broadband by 2021 through the R100 programme, it is now estimated that full R100 rollout will not be achieved until 2028; notes the reported intention of telecommunications companies to retire the copper phone line network and replace phone lines with digital connections using fibre broadband; understands that this replacement is due by 2027; notes with concern reports that many households are unable to switch to digital phone lines due to lack of broadband connectivity in their area, which, it understands, can cause particular problems for customers with healthcare devices that use the phone line, or those who live in areas with poor mobile phone signal; expresses its disappointment that rural and island households are facing such difficulties, particularly in light of increasingly frequent adverse weather events, which, it understands, put rural and island households at risk of power outages; considers that poor 4G signal in rural and island areas has negative implications for businesses and education; understands that many households in Scotland are unable to be connected to smart meters due to poor connectivity of the smart meter network in their areas, with latest figures showing that less than 10% of households in Scotland’s island groups have smart meters; further understands that many of these households still use legacy radio teleswitch meters, with Scotland having a higher proportion of these meters than other parts of the UK; notes with concern that the radio teleswitch signal is due to be switched off by 30 June 2025, which, it believes, could leave households stuck paying higher tariffs; further notes the belief that a digital divide is detrimental, and notes the calls for both of Scotland’s governments to work together to address the digital connectivity challenges facing households in rural and island Scotland.

15:08  

I thank all members who have supported my motion and the organisations that provided briefings.

I realise that some of the issues that I will discuss are reserved matters, but they are all interlinked and all affect Scottish communities. Rural and island communities face many connectivity challenges, from those relating to broadband, fourth-generation wireless and mobile phone coverage to issues with smart meter signals, and there is a cumulative impact on those areas because of disparities in delivery and the unequal deployment of infrastructure. Both Scotland’s Governments must rethink their attitudes and approaches to rural and island connectivity and must work pragmatically together to find solutions. If those areas are always considered to be a problem that should be left to last—and some telecommunications and energy companies also appear to take that view—progress will never be made.

The Scottish Government’s reaching 100 per cent—R100—programme was arranged as part of the United Kingdom Government’s superfast broadband programme, which gave devolved administrations a formal role in organising broadband roll-out. It promised to connect all households in Scotland to superfast broadband by 2021, although it is now estimated that that will not be achieved until 2028.

Realising that that target date would be missed, and with the 2021 Scottish elections approaching, the Scottish Government introduced a voucher scheme to attempt to capture properties missed out by the main scheme. Much like the failings of the commercial roll-out, it relies on companies being willing and able to come to rural and island areas, which is not often the case.

In Shetland, out of 1,507 eligible properties, just 35 have been connected using the Scottish broadband voucher scheme. One of my constituents, Mary Macgregor, lives at Bakka on the west mainland of Shetland. She runs a knitwear business from home and she told me:

“My business is suffering acutely from lack of connectivity.”

Parts of the west mainland have internet download speeds of just 3 megabits per second and 0.5Mbps upload speeds, and 25 per cent of Shetland households have broadband speeds of less than 30Mbps. So far, Mary’s efforts to get a community-led internet project installed by pooling broadband vouchers and working closely with Scottish Government officials have still not been enough to get a supplier interested in developing the scheme.

Another constituent was quoted £725,000 to connect 15 houses. Often, the only practical solution under the voucher scheme is a satellite installation, but the higher monthly costs and difficulty of shopping around at the end of a contract would mean households paying more for years to come.

The voucher scheme options are simply not equivalent to the fixed-fibre connections offered to other households under the main reaching 100 per cent—R100—programme, so it is unsurprising that the uptake in Shetland is so low. There needs to be a better solution for areas that are not considered commercially viable to get parity of digital connection with urban counterparts.

The copper phone-line network for land-line telephones is being retired and replaced by phone lines that use digital connections. The switchover, called “digital voice”, by the largest provider, BT, will affect all customers, regardless of supplier. There is a mismatch between the reach of the broadband roll-out and the planned retirement of the copper network by 2027. That has understandably caused stress in rural and island areas, particularly for people in areas with poor mobile phone signal, and for elderly and disabled people with devices such as Telecare alarms.

One frequently cited solution is that digital phone lines will have a minimum one-hour battery back-up in the event of a power cut. That is wholly inadequate. In December 2022, Shetland was hit by a storm, resulting in widespread and prolonged power cuts, including to cell towers, leaving areas with no power and no signal for days. In the absence of a self-powered land line, that would leave people entirely cut off from telecommunications at the time when they need them most.

The lack of resilience in the cell tower network and in the new digital land-line phones is concerning, as climate change means that more weather events are expected to occur more frequently. There must be planning for the worst-case scenarios to ensure that networks are resilient and can cope. It should not be the case that we find ourselves in a worse position during an emergency than we do with the 50-year-old technology that we are replacing.

The 4G network also has resilience issues. In Lerwick, the network is inadequate for demand, especially during peak visitor times. Shetland businesses tell me that their activities are curtailed because of inadequate connectivity. Just last week, the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill was passed. Farmers and crofters will require adequate digital connectivity to achieve its aims of fostering innovation in that sector.

I echo Beatrice Wishart’s comments about the impact in rural and island areas. What she describes is very similar to the situation in my Orkney constituency. Does she believe that part of the problem is that, in relation to telecommunications, a standard is set on the basis of area and population covered, but it is always the very small percentage of the population that is at the back of the queue? Does she agree that it would be helpful for Governments and regulators to take an out-to-in approach, rather than an in-to-out approach, when looking at the roll-out of technology and infrastructure?

That is exactly the point that I hope the debate will highlight. It is definitely the case that looking from the outside in would help island and rural areas.

Energy customers are encouraged to switch to a smart meter, but the barriers to installation that people in rural areas face include a lack of installers, long waiting times and poor communication from suppliers. Those problems are exacerbated by the planned shutdown of the radio teleswitch—RTS—on 30 June 2025. There are hundreds of thousands of households whose meters operate using the signal, but the timeline does not align with the pace of smart meter roll-out. It is unknown what will happen to RTS meters after the shutdown. They might continue to work but not as intended, or they could stop working, resulting in either no heating and hot water or permanent heating, increasing energy bills in areas with the highest fuel poverty rates.

A further barrier is that some rural and island areas have no access to the wide area network that smart meters use. A technology-based solution is being developed, but it is only at the trial phase, so it seems unlikely to be successfully deployed in time for the RTS shutdown.

The Minister for Climate Action wrote in the Shetland News on Tuesday that customers should contact suppliers for “alternative solutions”. People have been doing that for years and getting no answers. One of my constituents first contacted his supplier about a replacement meter more than four years ago and still has not been able to get one. Another constituent had been waiting two years before contacting me more than two years ago. For every person who contacts me about meters, there will be others in the community facing similar problems.

By considering those impacts holistically, we see that people in rural and island areas are facing a digital divide. Depopulation will continue and enterprise growth will continue to suffer if services and infrastructure continue to be worse in those areas than in urban areas. What people in rural and island areas seek is parity and the same opportunities that other communities across Scotland already take for granted. With a bit of political will between our two Governments, that can be achieved in the island and rural areas in Scotland.

15:16  

I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate, and I congratulate Beatrice Wishart on securing this final members’ business debate ahead of recess.

Having access to fast and reliable broadband and being digitally included in today’s ever-more digital society is of the utmost importance for rural parts of Scotland, including Dumfries and Galloway, for many of the reasons that have already been well rehearsed by Beatrice Wishart. For individuals in rural areas, full fibre access is crucial if they are to be able to work from home, to access Government support services and to stay connected with friends and relations. It is needed for children and young people to access education resources and for online streaming services, gaming and browsing, all of which can happen simultaneously in people’s homes.

Full fibre is needed for businesses to connect with their customer base, to conduct business transactions and to run systems. With the rise of cybersecurity threats, having a secure and reliable connection is paramount. Full fibre connection supports advanced cybersecurity systems, ensuring that any business’s critical data is protected.

We transitioned pretty quickly during the Covid lockdown to conduct our work using the internet and other platforms, with our Teams links and Zoom links. Indeed, fibre access is so important in helping people in the world of work and in tackling social isolation and loneliness, as was pointed out by Third Sector Dumfries and Galloway in a report that it did last year.

I will start on a positive note. As of January this year, 5,000 additional households and businesses in Dumfries and Galloway can now connect to better broadband speeds through the Scottish Government’s £600 million reaching 100 per cent programme, and more are set to benefit from upgrades. Full fibre technology is now available to 40,000 of the hardest-to-connect properties, with the R100 roll-out reaching homes and places in Dumfries and Galloway, including Auchencairn, Crossmichael, Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright and Ringford. Openreach engineers have managed to address not-spots for fibre connectivity for my constituents in Borgue and Twynholm, as well as in Bridge of Dee and Newton Stewart.

I name all those because it is important for everybody to hear that they have the connectivity that they now need in order to manage their daily lives. From a Wigtown wigwam tourism business that my office has been supporting, I know how beneficial it has been to obtain that connection—it has been fantastic for both the business and its guests. Owners Fraser and Lorraine have said that the connection is attracting more people to their fantastic holiday site and that the connection is supporting their business to connect better with their customer base, so I pay tribute to the Openreach staff for their continued and dedicated work.

However, as well as all of the good work that is under way across Dumfries and Galloway, we still have significant challenges. Hard-to-reach places still exist in the region, including some in the town of Dumfries, where adequate download speeds do not exist in, for example, parts of Georgetown.

A company called Galloway Broadband is working on low-cost solutions to digital connection issues, and it offers a solution that does not require cable installation but utilises, for example, mobile masts and wireless white space technology. However, the criteria that are required to enable R100 voucher access cannot quite be met in order for the company to help improve people’s digital connectivity. Georgetown is only one of the areas that I have been contacted about.

Would the minister consider reviewing the work of Galloway Broadband to see whether it can be supported as a fast, local, affordable solution to address the not-spots and improve internet access and download speeds, in order to meet the digital requirements for our current daily lives?

I welcome the progress that has been made, but I also urge the minister to look at innovative solutions, such as the white space technology that I have just mentioned, to ensure that people who live in our most remote and rural areas have access to the adequate internet connectivity that they need for their daily work.

15:21  

I thank Beatrice Wishart for bringing to the chamber this debate on a subject that is extremely important for my constituents across the Highlands and Islands. Like Beatrice Wishart, I live in the northern isles and, for our communities, connectivity—whether that is transport or digital—is vitally important. However, for island communities across Scotland, not only is a lack of connectivity an issue but it is an issue that is growing.

Many of our connections to other islands and the Scottish mainland are better than they have been before—certainly better than they have been historically, although there are serious problems with our ferries network. However, while other communities benefit from improvements in how they are wired into the world through broadband, island and other rural communities risk being left behind. Although endless promises have been made on delivering superfast connections to our communities, like so many promises that emanate from the Scottish ministers in Edinburgh, they have not been delivered and the figures remain stark.

In the Western Isles, R100—including the voucher scheme—has seen only 14 homes and businesses connected to superfast broadband, and 2,206 properties await connection. Nearly 4,000 premises in Shetland and 2,760 in Orkney are still to be connected.

I am relatively fortunate because work has been carried out in the past few months to connect my home in Orkney, although we have not yet subscribed to the service. Before then, we were reliant on slow and intermittent broadband that, too often, cut out entirely. That left us struggling to access the increasing numbers of services—including many public services—which are now delivered online. In most of Scotland, folk take for granted things such as online banking, both personal and business; ordering supplies and deliveries from Tesco or other local shops; accessing online medical appointments; booking travel; or submitting data, such as that which the Scottish Government and its agencies require on our farm.

All of those things are vital, but they do not include the social connectivity that good broadband also supports. That is important not just for many younger people but for older residents of our islands who are feeling increasingly isolated.

Let us be clear that the failure to deliver on promises of improved broadband makes island life harder and risks damaging the long-term sustainability of our rural communities.

I will turn to phone connectivity. For many island and rural homes, although mobile coverage can be okay outside of the property, the signal inside can be limited. That is not great in bad weather, when power has been lost or an emergency call needs to be made.

Resilience is key for those who live in remote areas, and people want to stay in their own homes when they can, but they have to feel safe in doing so. As I said during my debate on wood-burning stoves, people cannot always pop next door for help, because their neighbours might be a significant distance away and they are often all but isolated. That is why a good mobile signal is important, but also why many of us are reliant on our powered land lines when there is a crisis.

Therefore, although I welcome the efforts that BT is making to ensure that a powered line will be available for some households until 2030, I wonder whether, when that is removed, a reliable alternative will be in place to ensure that resilience is maintained. I also wonder how many households are actually aware of the new product, so I ask the minister, in his summing up, to lay out what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that households are made aware of it, particularly how the Government is working on that with local councils and third sector agencies, and how that work is being supported and funded.

I take this opportunity to thank all those organisations, particularly those in the charity and third sectors—and, of course, local government—that have continued to play an important part in providing many services in our community and that are working to ensure that any changes with things such as care alarms happen as seamlessly as possible. One of my family members has a care alarm, and I can say from my own experience that the part of Orkney Islands Council responsible for such things has been extremely proactive in warning us of any changes and what we need to do. That is appreciated, because these are quite literally lifeline services.

I could go on, Presiding Officer, but I think that my time is nearly up. In conclusion, then, I would just say that promises made about digital connectivity need to be delivered and that island and rural communities’ needs—particularly the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities—must be better understood by the Government. If they are not, we risk seeing the rural and islands divide widen even further.

15:25  

I thank Beatrice Wishart for bringing this debate—the final one of the parliamentary year—to the chamber, and I am pleased to join her in making the case for all of our citizens to have access to good digital connectivity.

It is important to recognise that this is a matter for the UK Government as well as the Scottish Government, and I ask the Scottish Government to ensure from the outset that it works closely with the UK Government to progress it. Indeed, we can make that progress if we co-ordinate and manage the multiple issues that we have heard about.

Sometimes there is a sense that access to technology and the internet is a bit of a luxury and that it is not really essential to be digitally connected. However, as we have heard in the chamber already, we all understand that that is not the case. Those who are not online or who do not have the same access as others to the digital connectivity that we are talking about are definitely being left behind.

I remind members that digital poverty affects one in seven people across the UK. Ofcom’s 2023 “Online Nation” report found that a surprising 7 per cent of British households had no internet access at all in their home. The reality is that digital poverty exacerbates the hardships that people face and for those in that situation in 2024 it can be difficult to access many forms of healthcare, employment opportunities, and basic information about transport, weather problems or service changes, as well as many other things that, as members have said, we all take for granted.

I understand that R100 aims to be one of the most ambitious infrastructure programmes in Europe and to ensure that most rural parts of Scotland achieve parity in digital connection, and I acknowledge that that is what the Scottish Government is seeking. However, the Government’s ambition was to connect every household to superfast broadband by 2021, and it is now estimated that full R100 roll-out will not be achieved until 2028.

I understand from research that I have undertaken for the debate that although many homes have access to superfast broadband, as with much in the digital era, it is the same households and communities that are suffering from the divide and the slow progress. In this case, it is our more rural and island communities that have suffered. Members might be surprised to learn, though, that I have been contacted by communities in Lanark that are having some problems with weak connection and are needing help; indeed, businesses are being affected.

The R100 Scottish broadband voucher scheme, which was launched in September 2020, ensures that any home or business that is not in scope of the R100 contracts or planned commercial build can get access through a voucher worth up to £5,000. However, as we have heard from Beatrice Wishart and others, the scheme has not been without its difficulties, and I hope that in his closing speech the minister will address some of Beatrice Wishart’s specific points.

There are many myths about access to digital technology, and the motion clearly and correctly details some of the very real realities facing people who live in our rural or island communities. The reality is that the broadband that many have access to is very slow; the ambition to connect people is there—I understand that—but again and again, the reality on the ground for the same people is that the current system is slow and needs to be reinvigorated.

I once again thank Beatrice Wishart and all of the members who have contributed to the debate, and I hope that the minister has some positive feedback to give us in his closing speech.

I call Tom Arthur to respond to the debate.

15:30  

I commend Beatrice Wishart for securing the debate and bringing this important matter to the chamber. I also thank fellow members for their contributions.

Digital connectivity is central to the economic future of rural and island communities. That is why the Scottish Government has taken the lead and acted decisively. As members will be aware, power on telecoms is reserved to Westminster. Despite that, we have committed more than £600 million to extend gigabit-capable broadband networks, and we have targeted that investment at some of our hardest-to-reach communities. That approach has seen 16 new subsea cables being delivered, on time and on budget, which will connect our islands to the mainland. That investment paves the way for faster speeds and improved services and, crucially, will add greater resilience to the broadband and mobile networks that serve our island communities.

We have also acted to improve mobile coverage. Last year, we completed delivery of our 4G infill programme, which delivered 55 new masts and targeted investment to bring 4G coverage to rural and island areas for the first time. All that work is having a transformational impact. I wish to reassure members that there is more to come.

Our three broadband contracts with Openreach are on track to connect more than 113,000 homes and businesses in our hardest-to-reach communities. In the year ahead, we expect to connect some of Scotland’s most rural communities—Westray, Eday, Rousay, Shapinsay, Unst and Whalsay—and the isles of Mull and Iona. We also expect to start work in the Western Isles ahead of schedule. Thanks to those contracts, we have already connected more than 50,000 premises, with a focus on providing gigabit connections that are capable of delivering speeds 30 times faster than our original superfast commitment. There is no better example of how far our investment is going than Fair Isle, which is home to 65 people, all of whom can now access gigabit-capable broadband. Fair Isle is a symbol for just how connected rural Scotland is becoming. Whether it be through fibre, mobile, wireless or low earth orbit satellite networks, everyone in Scotland, no matter where they are based, can now access high-speed, high-bandwidth digital connectivity.

I recognise Ms Wishart’s concerns about the provision of fixed fibre broadband to premises, and the importance that she places on that. I make the foregoing points to illustrate the progress that we have made, but that does not suggest complacency or a slackening of pace. I recognise that there is still more work to be done and there are more communities to connect.

Does the minister think that private operators who provide services to houses in hard-to-reach areas, such as those mentioned by Emma Harper and others, are sufficiently involved in the process? Are we bringing all the technologies, including 4G, together well enough to deliver those service, or are we still seeing a bit of a smorgasbord of approaches?

In response to Mr Halcro Johnston’s questions, I say that there is an important need for a collaborative, joined-up approach. We should recognise that, given the particular challenges that we face on connectivity in some parts of our country, flexibility and willingness to work with local partners will be extremely important. Those are particular points that I, and ministers in general, are keen to reflect on. We recognise the need to get things absolutely right and that a one-size-fits-all approach will not necessarily deliver the results that our hardest-to-reach communities require.

I return to the points that I have already raised. We want to build on our success and to extend gigabit broadband access even further. UK Government funding is, of course, key to the next phase, and we have been working constructively to secure Scotland’s fair share of the £5 billion commitment to project gigabit. We recently launched two new procurements that are focused on parts of the Borders, East Lothian and north-east Scotland, and more procurements are expected to follow throughout the year. Every new project gigabit contract that is signed will see even more funding invested in Scotland to deliver connectivity to homes and businesses that need it.

A separate UK-wide framework, which we will work with the UK Government to deliver in Scotland, provides more opportunities to drive economies of scale across project gigabit and R100 contracts and increase coverage. However, it will require the incoming UK Government to match our ambition and our investment in Scotland’s digital infrastructure. I reassure Carol Mochan that we want to work constructively to deliver on those commitments and ambitions.

I also recognise the concerns that have been raised regarding the PSTN switch-off. The existing telephone network across the UK uses older technology and is increasingly unreliable and difficult to repair, which puts those who depend on it at risk. For that reason, the telecoms industry has decided to replace the traditional land line telephone service with a digital service by the start of 2027.

There will be no change to the statutory responsibilities that providers are currently bound to. Telecoms providers have committed to the UK Government that they will work with the Government and Ofcom to identify and protect vulnerable customers, to ensure that no telecare customers are migrated until a solution is in place and—I know that this point is of interest to members—to provide back-up solutions, where required, that go beyond the Ofcom minimum of one hour of continued, uninterrupted access to emergency services in the event of a power outage.

We will continue to support the UK Government and Ofcom and make sure that there is a proper understanding of any risks that are faced by Scotland’s island and rural communities, enabling any issues to be resolved ahead of 2027.

The Scottish Government is also acutely aware of the issues that rural and island communities are facing with regard to smart meters. While the powers to act still lie with the UK Government, we continue to call on it to ensure that Scottish consumers are not disadvantaged and will be able to benefit from smart meter technology. My colleague Gillian Martin, who is now acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, raised those issues during her engagement with her counterpart in the UK Government and Ofgem. Smart meter roll-out was a key area of focus at the rural energy consumers working group meeting that Gillian Martin chaired last year.

More than a quarter of radio teleswitch service customers across the UK are based in Scotland. That is a disproportionately high number. Those customers are typically located in areas with no mains gas supply, such as rural areas near the Borders and some areas in the Highlands and Islands. Gillian Martin recently wrote to all major energy suppliers, calling on them to prioritise properties in Scotland that have that type of meter as they progress their smart meter roll-out programmes. She has also written to local media to raise awareness of the pending switch-off, as was touched on earlier in the debate. I know that she, along with the new acting Minister for Climate Action, Dr Alasdair Allan, and their officials, will continue to engage with the industry to monitor progress and ensure a smooth and quick transition for Scottish consumers.

The Scottish Government has raised and will continue to raise awareness of the issues that are facing our rural and island communities. We remain committed to improving Scotland’s digital future and ensuring that every community in Scotland can play an active part in the digital economy.

The investment that we have made over the past decade has transformed access to broadband and mobile services. The programmes that we have delivered have connected more than 1 million homes and businesses across Scotland to faster broadband, backed by more than £1 billion of public-driven investment. We want to go further, but we will need the new UK Government to step up and invest in Scotland in a way that has not been done before. We stand ready to work with it and local partners to build on the success of the Scottish Government’s programmes and ensure that all our rural and island communities can play an active role in Scotland’s digital economy.

Meeting closed at 15:39.