In today’s world, it is more important than ever to have a high-quality broadband connection for both our work and social lives. Post-pandemic many of us rely on that connectivity more so than ever – whether you’re a student, a local business, or working from home and need these services to complete your working day.
Although staying connected to the internet is very important for everything from business to leisure to health and education, those who live in more rural areas have often struggled with connectivity. While broadband and telecommunications are matters ultimately reserved to Westminster, the Scottish Government has stepped up to prioritise our rural communities and ensure that everyone is eligible for superfast broadband, removing rural and financial barriers to access.
Especially in the smaller villages of Mid Fife and Glenrothes, I have been assisting constituents with their broadband connections, such as in Milton of Balgonie, liaising with Openreach, and supporting constituents with funding options available from the Scottish Government as part of the Reaching 100% (R100) Programme.
There has been wonderful progress on internet connectivity all over Mid Fife and Glenrothes over the past few years, thanks to this investment. For example, Lundin Links was recently highlighted by Openreach as having the best ultrafast broadband coverage in the whole of Scotland following targeted intervention to improve local services in recent years.
Furthermore, I was delighted to hear from the Minister for Business, Richard Lochhead MSP, recently, that just under 7,000 homes and small businesses across Mid Fife and Glenrothes have now benefited from the R100 and Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband Programmes so far. This constitutes part of the many connections made through these programmes nationwide, funded by over £650 million of Scottish Government investment.
The Scottish Government’s R100 Programme is delivered through Openreach and other commercial broadband providers, which also offer a Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme that provides subsidies of up to £5,000 per location for residents in order to meet the costs of constructing the necessary improvement infrastructure.
I am particularly pleased that the rural areas of my constituency, such as Lundin Links, are directly benefiting from this improved broadband connectivity that will undoubtedly bring many social and economic benefits for my constituents. If you are having any issues with your connectivity, please don’t hesitate to contact my constituency office for any support you may need. We live in a digital world – it’s important that everyone can access these benefits, no matter where they live in Scotland.
