Sir Menzies Campbell MP has called on Ofcom and BT to explain why North East Fife, along with other rural areas in Scotland, lags so far behind the rest of the UK in its broadband provision.
Sir Menzies has written to the Chief Executive of Ofcom to get an assurance that commercial reasons will not stand in the way of Fife being given priority as the next generation of broadband internet services are rolled out. He has also written to the Chief Executive of BT to express his concern that, on average, only one third of homes in rural Scotland are able to get their broadband from providers who do not rely on BT’s lines and has asked how this figure relates to North East Fife.
Sir Menzies will be conducting a constituency wide broadband survey over the next few weeks in order to gauge people’s personal experiences with their service.
Commenting, Sir Menzies said:
“I am seeking assurances from Ofcom and BT that North East Fife is not disadvantaged for commercial reasons, and that after years of watching the rest of the UK forge ahead in the broadband revolution, they will be given first priority in receiving Next Generation Access.
“For too long North East Fife has suffered from low speeds and unreliable connection to broadband internet. This was highlighted recently in Newburgh as the area was left without satisfactory broadband access for several days without an explanation.
“For many individuals and businesses across North East Fife this limited access means that the internet is more like the inter-not. The provision of reliable broadband must be a top priority due to its importance to rural communities and business alike.”
Sir Menzies added:
“After discovering that only 33% of rural areas in Scotland have access to broadband from anyone other than companies using BT lines, I have written to their Chief Executive to seek clarification of the exact figure in North East Fife. This reliance on a single operator will no doubt make it difficult for the consumer to get the best service.
“I will be conducting a broadband survey of the constituency over the next few weeks to see exactly what peoples own experiences are and bring this to the attention of BT and Ofcom. With the information from this survey, I hope that we will be able to make a strong case that broadband internet provision must be improved within North East Fife in order not to unfairly disadvantage the people and businesses here.”
