Most of the Highlands is in the 30 per cent worst areas in the UK for broadband
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Huge swathes of the Highlands are in the 30 per cent worst areas in the UK for online connectivity, according to research published by the House of Commons Library.
Each constituency is divided into areas and then analysed for service. Every single area in each of the two north constituencies and all but eight in the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey get the lowest download speeds.
Those areas with the highest percentage of properties – more than one in 10 – unable to receive decent broadband include: Lochaber West (15.9); Skye South (14.2); Sutherland North and West (12); and Caithness North East (11.3).
That is miles above the Scottish average (0.7 per cent) and the UK average (0.2 per cent).
The Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross and and Skye, Ross and Lochaber both have nine areas with between 36 and 15 per cent of properties unable to get more than 10 Mbps.
And Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey has four such areas.
That 10 Mbps level is so low that it would likely not be enough for a Zoom call for anyone working from home, in business or education.
Outrage
Far North MP Jamie Stone has expressed outrage at the lack of broadband connectivity particularly in his own constituency of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
Noting that the constituency is divided into 17 districts, the average download speeds range from 32.5MBps to 50.7MBps – dramatically lower than other better-connected areas in Scotland.
Some of the best served areas were places like Paisley and Renfrewshire South near Glasgow, where download speeds range from 74.7MBps to 194.2MBps.
The findings also show that the average number of premises in his constituency with gigabit availability is 8.8 per cent, compared to a national average of 71.9 per cent.
They also show that the number of premises with no superfast availability is over five times higher than the national average.
Mr Stone said: "It is completely outrageous that in 2023 – a whopping three years after the Scottish Government pledged to have 100 per cent superfast broadband coverage across Scotland – the Far North is still stuck with the most basic access to the digital network, and sometimes not even that.
"I've never seen such an apt example of 'pot calling the kettle black' than when it comes to the Scottish Government's R100 programme. Despite blaming Westminster for a lack of action on broadband connectivity, the SNP in Holyrood have done very little since they took up the initiative.”
He added: “As it stands, thousands of homes across Scotland will not see superfast broadband until 2028, which will be seven years late.”
