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Finderne Development Trust calls on Scottish Government to look for alternative suppliers of rural broadband


By Garry McCartney

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Finderne Development Trust directors Brian Higgs and Jo Laing are campaigning for better rural broadband.
Finderne Development Trust directors Brian Higgs and Jo Laing are campaigning for better rural broadband.

A COMMUNITY group driving rural regeneration is continuing to push for sufficient local internet speed.

Finderne Development Trust (FDT) disputes claims from digital networker Openreach that a contract for the Scottish Government’s R100 programme to rollout superfast broadband will connect all homes and businesses based in the countryside.

However, responding to calls from FDT for the government to prioritise improvements to rural broadband, Openreach claims a new, ultrafast, full-fibre network for Forres could not be extended to Finderne because of the costs.

FDT chairman Brian Higgs believes this cause is inaccurate.

He said: “Our board of trustees were not aware that Openreach had the authority to determine what funds we have. Openreach gave us some of the costs we requested for the parts of our community serviced by the Alves and Dunphail phone exchanges. They flatly refused to give us costs for the Rafford, Chapelton, Lawrenceton and Altyre areas that are serviced by the Forres exchange. We asked for an explanation and were refused one. We conclude that the refusal was as a direct result of a commercial decision.”

An Openreach spokeswoman replied that indicative costs to the trust “far outweigh” the grants and Openreach funding available.

She added: “If the trust would like to add more funding, we’d be delighted to progress this. We would not normally carry out detailed surveys until we know viable funding is available. We’re happy to continue discussion.”

Mr Higgs pointed out that, at risk of conflict of interest, the Openreach team are responsible for the company’s commercial activities, the Scottish Government R100 programme and any community fibre partnership requests.

He said: “There are only so many engineers in the area to connect premises into a broadband network. What criteria, therefore, will someone in Openreach’s head office use to determine where critically important resources will be deployed?”

Openreach do not agree that there is a conflict of interest.

The spokeswoman said: “We’re investing hundreds of millions of pounds directly in full fibre for areas including Moray, and we’ll go as far as we can in Forres. Our Community Fibre Partnership scheme is helping more than 100 communities across Scotland. We made a commercial decision to compete in the competitive tender process for R100. These are complementary initiatives and reflect Openreach’s determination to find ways to build fibre in rural and remote parts.”

Mr Higgs disputes Openreach’s pledge to provide all of Scotland with superfast broadband.

He said: “We have been told by a Scottish Government official, in a meeting convened and attended by our local MSP, that R100 will not provide superfast broadband to every household. The R100 list will not be made public until the summer, and there is no guarantee that this will include the whole of Moray.”

Broadband engineers at Sueno’s Stone.
Broadband engineers at Sueno’s Stone.

The Openreach spokeswoman confirmed a number of factors are considered in choosing where to invest.

She said: “These include existing broadband infrastructures, costs to build new networks, and what take-up is expected. The Digital Scotland contract specified that we must reach the most people possible with the funds available.”

According to Openreach, nearly 95 per cent of Scotland can access a superfast service at 30Mbps+ over any network.

The spokeswoman said: “Openreach alone provides a 30Mbps+ service to more than 90 per cent. R100 is designed to complete superfast access across Scotland, and Openreach has worked hard for the right to help the Scottish Government finish the job. A high proportion of our R100 build in the North of Scotland will be full fibre, 30 times faster than the commitment to 30Mbps. Initial survey and planning work is getting under way.”



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