Finderne Development Trust sets up rural 'office' in broadband protest
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PEOPLE from a rural community have invited the man responsible for the nation’s broadband to see how slow theirs is.
After being "brushed off" by the Scottish Government’s Minister for Energy, Connectivity and the Islands, Paul Wheelhouse, Finderne Development Trust (FDT) has set up the ultimate "remote office" – a workplace in a field – and challenged the minister to sample the realities of rural broadband for himself.
FDT development manager Pery Zakeri has been working to bring fast broadband to the area since June 2019. The group is angry about delays in providing vouchers to help improve web access.
She said: "Working from a desk in a field in the heart of our rural community will soon let Mr Wheelhouse get a taste of the everyday reality for those trying to run a business or home-school kids in this part of the world.
"We’ve seen people forced to leave the area because they can’t continue with university studies while living in their family homes because the connectivity is so bad.
"There are days when you’d be more successful getting a usable connection by trying to plug your phone or computer into a turnip, or maybe a passing cow. It’s the same story for remote and rural communities across the north of Scotland.
"We want to show him is that you can have everything you need for a workplace or home office but in 2021 it’s pretty much worthless without a functioning broadband connection."
Families and businesses represented by FDT have faced years of frustration with internet connection speeds, worsened by the pressures of the coronavirus lockdowns. They initially attempted to pursue a community fibre partnership to get superfast fibre connections for the 498 properties in the area. However, this option was discounted by Openreach in December.
Now the community hopes Mr Wheelhouse’s flagship R100 programme, which promises to deliver 30 Megabits per second (Mbps) to every home and business in Scotland by the end of 2021, will bring it up to speed. This has been hit by delays and, as Finderne residents have been told that it could take up to five years to be delivered, some claim the government has fumbled the rollout of interim support vouchers.
The trust believes the £400 vouchers would help families and businesses pay for short term solutions to help them achieve faster connectivity until R100 is delivered. But the interim vouchers will not be made available until delivery of R100 begins later this year.
FDT has been in discussions with Mr Wheelhouse via local SNP MSP Richard Lochhead.
Pery said: "After waiting months for his response, we finally received what amounted to a lecture on the history of the R100 programme – something we are very aware of having undertaken considerable research into broadband.
"He didn’t respond on the issue of the interim voucher scheme which is the best option to financially help and support people and businesses to improve broadband connection without affecting inclusion in the R100 roll out.
"If Mr Wheelhouse cares to take up our 'remote working' challenge for a day, he’ll soon understand the same levels of disappointment that he’s left us feeling."
Moray's Scottish Conservative MP Douglas Ross wants to see Mr Wheelhouse take up the offer.
He said: "This protest is a novel way of exposing the reality that many families and businesses face in rural areas across Moray. The SNP must follow through on the voucher pledge made to those in rural areas to give people here in Moray a chance to take matters into their own hands."
Mr Lochhead confirmed he has requested a meeting with Mr Wheelhouse to discuss FDT's concerns.
He said: "I understand the huge frustrations of those in the Fenderne area that still have poor connections, especially when we’re all trying to work from home. Hopefully, we can find ways to get these homes connected sooner rather than later."
He added: "It’s important to note that it is due to inaction by the UK Government, which has responsibility for broadband and telecommunications, that the Scottish Government has in recent years had to invest hundreds of millions to prevent our communities falling even further behind.
"The Scottish Government is now investing a further £380 million in the R100 programme in the north of Scotland and I am hopeful this will benefit those still left behind."
