Broadband

I am happy to see this past week the focus that the Scottish Government will take during this session of Parliament. The key continues to be investment. Investment in our young people, in our transportation, investment in whatever it takes to allow Scotland to thrive. It is necessary in the face of uncertain times that we have a robust economic policy. Crucially, the Scottish Government is clear and practical about what that means.

Since 2007 investment has been at the heart of SNP policy and thankfully it continues to be. Rural communities have massive potential to create growth through upgrades in technology and infrastructure, growth that will benefit everyone.

The most obvious place to begin is digital infrastructure. There is a combination of benefits that emerge from this transition in technology. The clearest change would be the enhanced capacity of businesses. Access to high-speed internet changes relationships to communication, marketing, cash flow, knowledge and information. Translation: large gains in efficiency.

But it doesn't stop there. Young people gain access to a formidable learning tool. Many highly paid and highly skilled jobs are intimately linked to computer and internet technology. Access to the internet is access to the world. You can video chat with your family. You can find out what's trending on social media. The possibilities are endless, the opportunities vast. Investment in broadband for rural communities is a win-win.

The Scottish Government is keenly aware of this and has been massively ambitious with fibre broadband - committing to providing 100% of premises in Scotland with access by 2021. At the moment we are already on track to deliver 95% by the end of 2017, after having delivered our target of 85% 6 months ahead of schedule.

That doesn't mean there aren't challenges, especially in rural communities like parts of the North-east where we have an unusually high number of the diffcult to connect “exchange only” lines. I know, mine is one. There is work to be done but much has been accomplished. About 7,500km of cable has been laid down and 2,500 fibre street cabinets have been put in. That is no small achievement.

For the hurdles that remain ahead of us it is critical that we understand them. In order to tackle some of these, the Scottish Government has created an additional £9 million funding through the Scottish Rural Development Programme. This funding is being released to set up community organisations similar to GigaPlus Argyll; an organisation that will operate wirelessly and establish an extensive rural network covering areas that otherwise wouldn’t be covered by commercial services.

We know there is work to be done and know personally how important this issue is to the local community. It is for this reason that I continue to champion the deployment of digital infrastructure in the North-east. I am proud to be part of an ambitious government and a government that sees the huge value in our rural communities. Only by working together that we will be able to overcome whatever difficulties emerge.