Nanette Milne, Scottish Conservative MSP for the North East has called on the SNP Scottish Government to bring forward funding to address rural broadband black-spots. Dr Milne has been leading the campaign to see improvements to broadband in Scotland, especially in rural communities. The North East MSP has written to Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment asking for an update on what proposals the SNP Scottish Government has to bring forward investment in rural broadband.
During the Scottish Parliament elections the SNP made next generation high speed broadband across Scotland a key issue with a proposal to spend £50m on a nationwide network.
Milne said, “Access to broadband in rural areas is essential in order to grow the rural economy. I am determined to make sure the North East is not left behind and that we see the investment needed to make sure that all communities in the North East can have access to fast broadband connectivity.
“Every year it seems that we are seeing an even larger gulf in technology being offered to the cities compared to rural areas. This underlines the fact that there is an urgent need for all of rural Scotland to be broadband-enabled and that the Scottish Government must invest in superfast broadband for the whole of Scotland.
“Rural Scotland is being short changed by the lack of broadband connectivity, and the lack of fast and reliable broadband is holding back businesses and the Scottish economy. Broadband is as important to many farming businesses as the tractor or livestock now.
“I have today written to written to Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment asking for an update on what proposals the SNP Scottish Government has to bring forward investment in rural broadband.
“I believe it is vitally important that we see real progress made and that the SNP Scottish Government commit to bring forward the investment they promised at the election in improve broadband for across Scotland.”