Broadband in Scotland – Extending Broadband Reach
In April the European Commission extended approval for public funding of broadband in Scotland.
The Scottish Government notified a scheme (N 14/2008) in January 2008, to extend the provision of broadband access in rural areas of Scotland. This measure is the final step to bring affordable broadband services to all Scottish citizens and will allow residential and business users in Scotland, who still do not have access to affordable broadband services, to reap the full benefits of the knowledge-based economy.
The Commission concluded that public funding is necessary to provide affordable broadband services to the population in certain areas of Scotland and the aid is well-targeted to achieve this objective. At the same time the measure contains several safeguards to ensure that the aid amount is kept to a minimum, that telecommunication operators will have non-discriminatory access to the wholesale services and ensure that Scottish citizens will enjoy the benefits of a competitive broadband market.