Question reference: S5W-31547
- Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 3 September 2020
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Current status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 14 September 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when physical work on delivering Lot 1 of the R100 high-speed broadband programme will (a) begin and (b) be completed.
Answer
The award of the North Lot contract of the Reaching 100% (R100) programme has been on hold pending the resolution of a procurement challenge raised by Gigaclear in December 2019.
Now that a settlement has been agreed and the case has been formally dismissed, we are focused on finalising the R100 North Lot contract award with BT as soon as possible to enable us to progress delivery of access to superfast broadband to people, businesses and communities in some of the most remote parts of Scotland.
We anticipate that the contract will be signed by the end of this calendar year. It is only when there is an agreed contract in place that it will be possible to accurately confirm exactly when physical work will begin. Once contract signature is achieved, work will then be undertaken, as in Lots 2 and 3 previously, to update the speed coverage template for Lot 1, to finalise the intervention area, and to enable survey work at a local level to be undertaken.
Our Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS), which will launch later this month, will ensure that everyone who requires a superfast broadband connection by the end of 2021 can have one - including those in the R100 North Lot. In addition, the final build out, under the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme, is underway in Western Isles, Moray and the Highland Council area, ensure continuity of build while R100 moves towards delivery.