Connected Communities in the Western Isles – Not! (North Tayside Liberal Democrats)

North Tayside Liberal Democrats <info@libdems.org.uk>

Connected Communities in the Western Isles – Not!

April 26, 2010 8:32 AM
Originally published by Scottish Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat candidate Jean Davis commented on broadband provision in the Western Isles.

"One of the issues coming up on the doorstep is the issue if IT provision. It's OK if you are in Stornoway or Balivanich and there are good people running great businesses providing services across the globe. But a mile or two down the road businesses are struggling to connect."

"The connection is too slow to deliver IT services and small businesses are not even sure they are getting their emails at all. How do you feel when you turn up at a business expecting a service they are unable to provide because they didn't know you had asked! Well it's often not their fault but it is unacceptable for them and for you!"

"Connected Communities has not delivered here! Money has been spent but there is still little progress outside the main towns and to add to that it is expensive."

"My vision is for a zero carbon sustainable mixed economy for these islands. If we are to attract and grow the diverse small businesses to support this we need the infrastructure to allow them to deliver."

"It's time for a formal independent review of the Connected Communities project and for urgent action to get all the Western Isles connected."

"The Liberal Democrats are committed to supporting public investment in the rollout of super fast broadband, targeted first at those areas, which are least likely to be provided for by the market. That's us!"

"So lets review the project now and if it's not delivering start again and get the infrastructure we need to make these islands viable and sustainable in the 21st century."