Broadband upgrades needed urgently says McArthur

5.17.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 23rd Sep 2009

Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur, has welcomed the long awaited news that the Scottish Government is to start to upgrade a number of the “Exchange Activate” telephone exchanges to increase their broadband capacity and to offer faster broadband connections.

But he has stressed that the Government must not delay agreeing with BT the details of the exchanges to be upgraded and that the first exchanges to be upgraded must include Birsay, which has reached its full capacity already and Hoy and Papa Westray, which are close to capacity.Liam McArthur MSP: Orkney

Liam McArthur said,

“This long overdue announcement that the Government is going to act to tackle this problem follows months of uncertainty and frustration, particularly for those in Birsay who cannot get a broadband connection because their exchange’s capacity is fully taken up. The work to provide access to broadband for everyone in rural and island areas started under the previous Scottish Executive. It put in place the budget for the programme of work. Sadly, over the last two years there have been various announcements but limited action. So while this news of progress is welcome, what is needed is an assurance that the list of exchanges to be upgraded will follow very soon with the work then getting underway immediately. Birsay has waited too long and urgently needs its upgrade. So too do Hoy and Papay where the exchanges are getting close to capacity.

“While exchanges at or near capacity should be the first in the queue, all other Exchange Activate exchanges should then be upgraded to provide faster connections. Broadband is an essential tool for business and is of increasing importance to households. Technology is developing frighteningly fast and more and more services can only be accessed over the internet. Good internet connections are important to everyone, but they are particularly important in rural areas where they can help to reduce the problems which distance from centres of population create. So rural areas must not be at the back of the queue for the new technology, they should be at the front. Scottish and UK ministers must work together to close the digital divide between urban and rural areas. If they don’t, the danger is that it will widen still further.”