Gigabit in Scotland - public review: analysis report

1. Introduction And Background

In March 2021, the UK Government announced an ambition to deliver nationwide gigabit-capable broadband as soon as possible, recognising that there is a need for government intervention in the parts of the country that are not commercially viable. They have committed a total of £5bn to ensure that all areas of the UK can benefit. This will be spent through a package of coordinated and mutually supportive interventions, collectively known as Project Gigabit^[1], with an initial intervention of £1.2bn targeting at least 85% gigabit coverage of the UK by 2025.

The Scottish Government issued a Public Review (PR)^[2] to determine the eligible intervention area for investment of public funds into gigabit-capable broadband infrastructure on 23rd March 2023. The period of consultation closed on 24th April 2023, with the Public Review formally closing on 23^rd June 2023.

The outcome of this PR will be used to inform eligibility for possible future procurements via Project Gigabit and support the development of other potential public interventions in Scotland. It may also be used to determine eligibility for the current UK-wide GigaHubs and Gigabit Voucher programmes.