PE01703: Access to broadband in rural Scotland

As a stay at home parent living in rural Scotland, I spend most of my day at home, and the internet in a life line to the wider community. It enables me to keep in touch with other parents, and access amenities that others in cities take for granted. Due to our location our access to fast internet is very patchy, and when it is not available, it leaves those of us living in rural areas vey isolated. Broadband should be considered a priority for all rural areas with in the UK

Kerrey-Lyn Mitchell

13:12 on 11 Sep 2018

I run a small medium term letting business based near Dunscore DG3. Most of my clients are in business and need a fast powerful broadband connection to be able to work. They complain about the abysmal speeds which make their work impossible and this in turn is affecting my business and also means less visitors bringing money into our area.

Jackie Buckham

8:19 on 11 Sep 2018

We are on Marrburn Exchange and access a speed of only 0.4Mbps. We were advised that we would be in the R 100 programme by 2021, meanwhile we are restricted to BT being our only provider. Which provides a minimal service inefficient to download or use any of the other options which the majority of households enjoy. We are neither a remote rural area as the closest Fibre Optic is only 2.5 miles from us.

Joyce Gibson

19:27 on 10 Sep 2018

The petition is laudable, but communications is a reserved matter for Westminster, this petition needs to be sent there. Westminster gives close to £1Bn to Openreach to fund "hard to reach & uneconomic places", instead it feathers its nest, and MPs are powerless (or useless) in getting them to stick to the spirit of that monumental grant

Grant Duguid

15:03 on 10 Sep 2018

Everyone should have a decent connection in the day and age

Jolene Kiddell

10:35 on 10 Sep 2018

We are on satellite broadband which gets us by. What is worse, is that Openreach are doing away with our landline service. Soon we will have no phone either. Mobile reception is poor and satellite phone is a difficult medium due to signal delays. This government likes to talk about equality but it sees no need to enforce the practicing of it. Our service is being withdrawn as the urban service is being enhanced. I understand this is an economic decision but surely there must be someone in government who knows someone in telecommunications who knows someone who specialises in solving the problems of minority citizens.

Fiona Clubb

9:19 on 10 Sep 2018

Although the companies advertise high broadband speeds, the reality is that old telephone wires degrade the signal so if you live a distance from a 'cabinet' or exchange you will not receive a satisfactory signal. Fibre to the premises is the only solution and this will require significant investment to provide satisfactory broadband to rural areas.

Christopher Shirley

18:22 on 09 Sep 2018

improved broadband speeds are essential for rural economic and social development.

bruce buchan

14:57 on 09 Sep 2018

Our broadband speed is only 2.8 and often even less than this. It is very slow and cuts out completely on a regular basis.

Lindsey Shirley

12:46 on 09 Sep 2018

While our exchange is equipped for fibre broadband. It's is over 2.5 miles away. That phone line serves at least 30 properties. Today as I write this our download speed is 1.25mbps. Unless better infrastructure is put in place this will always be the case. But because the exchange has been upgraded this will be deemed good enough. IT IS NOT.

James Barrett

10:25 on 09 Sep 2018