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ACSEF to Accelerate Economic Growth with Better Digital Connectivity

Public Private Sector Economic Partnership to Tackle Region’s Poor Broadband

ACSEF is tackling the disadvantage facing the region due to poor broadband services with actions to deliver world-class digital connectivity across Aberdeen City and Shire

The public private sector partnership which drives economic development in the region believes that better broadband coverage and high speed connectivity will enable local firms to be more competitive and therefore accelerate growth in the economy.

The first step is the commissioning of a study today which will examine the current problems with broadband in the region and identify technology options and costs to develop solutions.

Global engineering and development consultants, Mott Macdonald, have been appointed to carry out this work.

Digital technologies play a key role in Scotland’s economy, helping increase productivity and international trade and enhance the competitiveness of businesses in remote communities. The Scottish Government’s target is for everyone to have Next Generation broadband by 2020. They are aiming for the rate of broadband take-up by people in Scotland to be higher than the UK average by 2013.

Rita Stephen, ACSEF development manager said: “Aberdeen has one of the highest rates of broadband uptake in the UK but, as a consequence, the infrastructure is frequently over-loaded, resulting in much lower connection speeds. Some parts of Aberdeenshire don’t even have access to broadband. This poor connectivity limits the use of internet as a research and learning tool among pupils and students and reduces productivity particularly in relation to home-working. The slow speed of e-commerce also impacts on customer fulfilment centres in the area and on small, remote businesses.

“As home to an increasing number of knowledge-based businesses, many of whom trade internationally, high speed and reliable broadband connections are vital.

“ACSEF is committed to significantly improving this situation and our first step is to identify the constraints which restrict broadband speed and connectivity in the region and the technology options which will offer the best solution and future resilience to allow us to compete more effectively. We will then map out the actions and the costs for providing everyone with a better service.”

The Aberdeen City and Shire Structure Plan baseline monitoring report highlighted that of the 103 telephone exchanges in the region, only five can operate at speeds up to 24 Mb/s while no fibre optic cable between the exchange cabinet or fibre all the way to the end-user premises has been deployed to date.

Robin Bosworth, a senior consultant at Mott Macdonald said: “It is essential for Aberdeen City and Shire to have a clear strategy for the delivery of world class broadband services. Such a strategy will drive economic growth, inward investment and regeneration, enhance social cohesion and well-being in the area and attract funding to the region. The aim is to give Aberdeen City and Shire a digital infrastructure that will differentiate the region and provide a competitive advantage to local businesses”.

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