Superfast fibre broadband: Scottish islands top list of UK places with worst internet

A study by digital literacy experts Typing.com found the Orkney Islands has the worst internet connection in the UK, followed by the Shetland Islands, Argyll and Bute and the Outer Hebrides (Na h-Eileanan Siar). 

The research analysed new Ofcom data on download speeds and access to Superfast and Ultrafast broadband in the UK’s 376 local authorities, and created an index to discover which areas had the worst internet connection.

Orkney Islands has the lowest percentage of premises connected to Superfast Broadband (64.3% compared to the UK average of 94%) and has just 1% of households with Ultrafast Broadband (compared to the UK average of 59%). Residents of Orkney Islands also face the slowest download speeds in the UK, at just 34.8 Megabits per second – the UK standard is 58.2 Megabits per second. 

The Shetland Islands has the second poorest internet access in both Scotland and the UK. In the Shetland Islands, just 2.1% of premises have access to Ultrafast broadband, compared to the UK average of 59%, and the median download speed is 41 Megabits per second, compared to the UK average of 58.2 Megabits per second. 

READ MORE: These are the Scottish streets with the best and worst internet connection

Argyll and Bute places third on the UK’s list of areas with the worst internet access. The median download speed in Argyle and Bute is just 42.7 Megabits per second, while just 78.1% have access to Superfast broadband and just 1.8% have access to Ultrafast Broadband.  

Na h-Eileanan Siar comes fourth on the list of areas with the worst internet access in the UK. Only 4.5% have access to Ultrafast broadband, while the median download speed is just 42.1 Megabits per second. Dumfries and Galloway also has some of the poorest internet connections in the UK, coming 8th on the list.

Alasdair Allan (pictured below), Na h-Eileanan Siar's MSP, hit out at the UK Government's "lack of willingness" to address the issue.

He told The National: "While rural locations of course present connectivity challenges, it is vital that as many homes and businesses across all parts of Scotland have access to fast internet speeds.

"With the shift, particularly in the last two years, towards home-working, access to superfast broadband needs to continue to be prioritised as part of our wider efforts to tackle the depopulation in the islands.

"The Scottish Government has already invested very heavily in broadband in the Western Isles, given the lack of willingness from either the UK Government or commercial providers to address this issue in an area which had no superfast broadband at all ten years ago.

"This investment has meant the majority of houses in the islands now have a fibre connection, although there are still many people who have a slow or even no internet connection."

He went on: "Some island communities have to rely at present on alternative broadband technology options such as 4G, which can often be problematic due to all-too-frequent issues with local masts.

"However, I hope the national R100 rollout will mean that many of these areas will soon finally have superfast fibre broadband connections installed, which I’m sure will be welcomed by individuals and local businesses alike.

"I would encourage my constituents to check the Digital Scotland website as soon as possible to see what vouchers they may be eligible for to go towards improving their broadband speeds, and to find out when the R100 rollout is due to reach their area."

Liam McArthur, the LibDem MSP for Orkney, said: "The Scottish Government have failed by some margin on their promise to deliver superfast broadband coverage to 100% of households and businesses by 2021.

"Nowhere is this more acutely felt than in Orkney where we have witnessed a rollout behind the curve with speeds lower and slower than anywhere else in the country.

"The pandemic has brought into sharp focus the sluggish speeds and lack of access across too many parts of Orkney. It has also acted as a reminder that these digital connections are crucially important for the future sustainability and ambitions of our islands.

"SNP Ministers must now prioritise the expansion of coverage in Orkney to make up for lost ground.  This needs to involve greater local coordination to make best use of the resources available and ensure all remaining gaps are filled."

Beatrice Wishart, the MSP for Shetland, told The National: “I think I am safe in saying that many in Shetland are sick and tired of their poor broadband speeds.

“Over the years we have had so many promises that things will improve by this date or that date.

“Timetables have been set aside time and again, with both the UK and Scottish Government’s missing promised dates.

“We all rely on good digital connectivity and communications. With more day to day services, such as banking and energy bills moving online, islanders are being left behind.

“Areas furthest away from the centre should have been the place to start when rolling out Ultrafast broadband.”

The areas with the best internet access in the UK are mainly in England, aside from West Dunbartonshire which has a download speed of 127.4 Megabits a minute, and 89.6% of its households have access to Ultrafast broadband – well above the UK average of 59%.

Kingston Upon Hull boasts the best internet connection in the UK with the best combined download speed (171.4 Megabits per minute), and Superfast and Ultrafast broadband coverage. Middlesbrough comes third, followed by North East Lincolnshire, Stockton-on-Tees and Harlow.

The Outer Hebrides had the fourth worst internet connection in the UK

A spokesperson for Typing.com said: “This data gives us a compelling insight into just how significant the digital divide is across the UK, particularly in Scotland.

"Everything we do as a society, from education, work and daily living, is so intertwined with the internet, and the importance of fair digital access for all should never be underestimated. While some parts of Scotland – for instance, West Dunbartonshire, are faring well in terms of internet access and connection – the fact that 50% of the UK’s least digitally connected places fall in Scotland show that we have a long way to go before every area has adequate internet quality."

It comes as superfast broadband is at risk of sinking on the Isle of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides.

Tiree Community Broadband (CIT Ltd), an island-based community broadband company, are calling on Openreach to provide them with a Fibre to the Premises connection for their network access point.

The internet provider refused to lay 20 metres of fibre cable, meaning offering 30MB speeds is not possible based on the current infrastructure. The network currently runs at 10MB and is already at capacity.

READ MORE: Boris Johnson drops Tory pledge for 100 per cent superfast broadband in UK by 2025

Chair of Tiree Broadband, Rhoda Meek said: “Now that we are aware of the final R100 rollout plans and the gaps in it, we see that we are once again forced to try and upgrade our network to cover the lack of basic provision.

"Unfortunately, we have reached the end of the road with sticky tape and string solutions. To support additional speeds, we need Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) for Tiree Broadband. Despite multiple pleas over a number of years, Openreach is unwilling to provide that."

She went on: “We are currently forced to serve the island using multiple domestic copper lines. To give you an idea of our challenges, our last three line installations took three months from the point of order. We serve 280 households on the equivalent of 12 domestic lines.

The island exchange is less than 20 metres away from our network access point, complete with a connecting duct, and yet we are unable to access a full fibre service. It is frustrating to say the least.”

Openreach’s partnership director, Robert Thorburn, said: “We understand the frustrations here - we’ve had discussions with TCB and we continue to look for a viable answer.

“Where Fibre-to-the-Premises technology is available, we don’t ‘refuse’ access to it. We operate an open network, and we’re regulated on how providers access and use it.

“There is core fibre network on Tiree which is used to power superfast broadband cabinets and circuits for mobile connectivity.

“But we don’t yet have the associated infrastructure on the island which would be needed to offer FTTP.

“That’s why we can’t currently provide TCB with access, though this upgrade will happen longer term through the R100 build.

“We’ve looked into indicative costs of an earlier deployment, but these are well beyond the scope of either a commercial deployment or voucher funding.

“Where FTTP isn’t available, customers can potentially order bigger bandwidth products like Ethernet. Sometimes this may involve significant costs because of the level of work involved.

“In a nutshell, there isn’t an easy answer and we’re continuing to explore options.”