More investment required for high-speed broadband for businesses

The government in the UK voiced concerns over broadband connection speeds that could cause long lasting competitive disadvantages in many rural and remote parts of Scotland.

The implementation of the new “telephone tax” that will be required to provide funding that will allow rural areas of Scotland to get high-speed broadband access should not be delayed any further according to a warning issued by the Government in the UK.

Businesses that do not have the latest broadband technology “will be at a substantial and long-lasting active competitive disadvantage” according to the Scottish Council for Development and Industry (SCDI).

Stephen Timms, the Treasury Minister was reported to have said that he believed that it would be better to delay plans for the rollout of next generation broadband until after the next general election, and this led to Gareth William, the SCDI northern policy manager voicing his concern over these delays.

Areas that are at risk “will include many parts of Scotland, such as the Highlands and islands” said Mr Williams.

The damage being done by the quality and performance of the current broadband networks were already being seen by a number of users and has led to business innovations becoming damaged.

Williams advised: “As applications become more advanced they require greater speed. There are many creative and innovative businesses in the Highlands that would be well placed to take advantage of the opportunities which the digital economy will create, and lack of a superfast network could become a real barrier to competitiveness in the longer term.”

A super-fast broadband network spanning around 66 percent of the country could be achieved through payment by the market according to the government. The remaining 34 percent would be achievable by using the telephone tax that was proposed earlier in the yea by the Digital Britain report.

Hughes brothers

Source – Press and Journal