Digital Connectivity - Broadband and Mobile

Good digital connectivity is increasingly seen as a basic service that is required by residents, businesses, students, visitors and the public sector. Efforts are underway to improve digital connectivity across Scotland and in particular across isolated rural areas.

The Cairngorms National Park is home to over 17,000 people and is visited by over 1.4 million visitors each year. There are around 1,000 businesses, many small and operating in remote rural areas. The Park encompasses many, and in some cases all, of the most isolated communities and businesses in the five local authority areas that make up the Park (Highland, Aberdeenshire, Moray Angus and Perth & Kinross).

A new Park Plan for 2012-2017 is under development and the wide public consultation highlighted the need for enhanced broadband and mobile connectivity for residents, businesses and visitors. A recent Cairngorms Broadband and Mobile Connectivity Survey has further emphasised the current poor level of service.

A key element of the next Park Plan will be a clear economic strategy for the area, recognising the pressing need for wider diversification of the economic base to ensure long term economic and social sustainability. Providing the infrastructure to attract new investment and business, as well as sustain vibrant communities, will require a step-change improvement in broadband and mobile connectivity.

There is very strong support from a wide spectrum of stakeholders to work in collaboration to improve the current situation and detailed discussions are commencing in February to build a collaborative project that aims to improve the service to isolated rural communities across the Park and the immediate hinterland.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise are also leading on a wider Superfast Broadband project for the Highlands and Islands which aims to deliver 100% coverage of next generation broadband by 2020. The first phase will see the 50 key towns and communities receiving superfast service. The procurement process is underway with BT. More information can be found here.

Contact

If you would like to know more about the work completed thus far or would like to get involved contact Chris Bremner, Sustainable Economy Manager at the CNPA.
Email: chrisbremner@cairngorms.co.uk
Tel: 01479 870505

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