From milk to megabits: making broadband plans more accessible

Let’s face it, keeping up with prices these days is no easy task. Whether it’s the cost of a loaf of bread or 4-pints of milk, it feels like things are constantly shifting. Thankfully, retailers try to make life a bit easier by doing the price comparisons for us, saving us from spending our weekends hopping from shop to shop. 

In a similar way, the Scottish Government is working to take some of the legwork out of broadband planning. Three times a year, we check in with broadband providers to get a clear picture of their roll-out plans for the next five years. This process – known as the Open Market Review – helps us identify which areas won’t be covered by commercial providers, so we can focus public funding where it’s really needed. It’s all about making sure we get the best value for public money. 

We publish this information and use it to guide our future planning. And planning in the telecoms world is no small feat right now. For the past few years, there’s been a lot of talk about the need for consolidation in the alternative network (altnet) market, with predictions that mergers were just around the corner. But despite the chatter, the market hasn’t quite gone that way. 

When I spoke at the Connected Britain event in London this September, it was clear that broadband suppliers are still weighing up their options. Mergers might be one route, but they’re not the only one. There’s still potential for new funding rounds, opportunities to grow market share, reach new customer groups, or even expand into wholesale services. 

And here in Scotland, we’re seeing that play out. With public investment still very much active, altnets have plenty of opportunities to grow. Our Open Market Reviews help us stay on top of these changes, but most importantly, they help us keep the public informed. 

That’s where the work of our communications and engagement team comes in. Digital Connectivity’s online broadband checker has recently been updated to include the first waves of Project Gigabit build. Refreshed every month, it gives people a realistic view of how broadband is reaching rural and island communities across the country no matter what publicly-driven programme, or commercial supplier, is funding it. 

Thanks to the R100 programme, we’ve already delivered faster broadband to more than 93,000 premises, which is a huge achievement. But we know there’s more to do. Just like retailers aim to make shopping easier, we’re working to make broadband access simpler and more transparent for everyone. 

Sarah Eynon 

Broadband Programme Director