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Councillors to consider improvements to broadband in Aberdeenshire

Councillors will be asked to support a critical step in a project which could see a multi-million pound investment in broadband infrastructure across the North East of Scotland.

Access to high speed broadband could significantly improve economic competitiveness and reduce the cost of delivering council and other public sector services as well as significantly improving the usability of the internet for most residents. Parts of Aberdeenshire have no access to broadband and service speeds throughout the City and Aberdeenshire are slow and significantly below the advertised peak speeds that most subscribers believe they are paying for.

The UK Government has announced Broadband UK funding for Scotland of £68.8 million which the Scottish Government has said it will add to in support of the roll out of higher speed broadband throughout rural Scotland. Over the next few months it is likely that a process will begin where councils will be able to bid for funding to support regional plans for enhanced broadband infrastructure.

Aberdeenshire Council is working with ACSEF (Aberdeen City and Shire Economic Future) to develop the Digital Connectivity Project. The project would generate a region-wide bid for Government funding for the three key areas of Aberdeen City, rural Aberdeenshire and the Energetica corridor.

Partnerships involving neighbouring local authorities, the Cairngorms National Park Authority and other public agencies may also be formed to allow bids for cohesive areas to be assembled.

In order to improve the speed and provision of broadband in Aberdeenshire, councillors will consider gap funding for a rural upgrade programme as well as a contribution to the delivery of fibre optic cable infrastructure to the areas adjacent to the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route. The cost of the gap funding could be in the region of £18 million.

Councillors will be asked to support a recommendation that officers prepare a detailed business case to support bids for capital contributions towards infrastructure upgrades which will facilitate the enhancement of broadband speeds and services.

The report will be considered by councillors at Policy & Resources Committee on 10th November.

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