Question reference: S5W-31778
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 14 September 2020
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Current status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 25 September 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date R100 superfast broadband programme will be completed, and what percentage of communities will not be connected after this.
Answer
As previously advised, we expect the majority of the contract build in the Central and South lots to complete by the end of 2023. Until there is an agreed contract in place it is not possible to confirm exactly when physical contract build in the North lot will end.
In the meantime, we remain committed to providing support to ensure that everyone can access superfast broadband services by the end of 2021 - delivered through the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS), which we launched on 12 September 2020. Anyone who will not have access to superfast broadband speed of more than 30 Megabits per second (Mbps) by the end of 2021, regardless of whether or not the R100 contracts will ultimately reach them, will be eligible for a voucher.