Scottish 4G Infill Programme Evaluation

1 Introduction

1.1 Overview

1.1.1 The Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) Programme is a £28.75 million funded programme which aims to deliver 4G mobile infrastructure and services in locations where they would not otherwise be provided by the market. The programme was developed by Scottish Government and the Scottish Futures Trust and is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

1.1.2 The investment objectives of the S4GI Programme are as follows:

1) Reduce the Digital Divide by improving available levels of connectivity for people and communities in areas of deprivation, and for people and businesses in rural areas. This includes:

• o Improve resilience in areas with poorer quality or less reliable wired internet connections.
• o Strengthen communities, including in rural areas, by offering enhanced opportunities to work, trade, and deliver public services.

2) Improve wellbeing of people across Scotland by improving available levels of mobile connectivity.

3) Improve business performance in Scotland by improving available levels of connectivity and improved internet speeds.

4) Enable use of technology, or facilitate changes in behaviour, which support a reduction in Greenhouse Gas emissions in Scotland.

1.1.3 In line with government guidance, Scottish Government sought to undertake an evaluation of the S4GI Programme and commissioned Stantec to assist in this process. The primary aim of this work is to evaluate the S4GI Programme against its investment objectives. In addition, the evaluation aims to expand the evidence base in terms of how businesses and households use 4G and its associated benefits and use this learning to inform the ongoing development of Scottish Government’s Digital Appraisal Manual for Scotland (DAMS) which sets out appraisal and evaluation guidance for digital projects in Scotland^[3].

1.1.4 Approximately 2,211 premises (residential and business) have been identified to date as potential beneficiaries of S4GI. The outcome cost per-premises covered by the scheme could therefore be considerable given the £28.75m cost. The purpose of this evaluation is to generate insight and evidence to determine whether this expenditure represents ‘value for money’ in terms of the social, economic, environmental, and other benefits to households, businesses, and communities.

1.1.5 Whilst in other fields such as transport there are established methods to monetise benefits deriving from public investment (such as monetised travel time savings via value of time calculations), there is no equivalent for digital connectivity. Many of the benefits of improved digital connectivity are not measurable. However, they can contribute to many wider Scottish Government policy objectives around creating a fairer society, boosting inclusive growth and wellbeing, and combating social exclusion and inequality.

1.1.6 The purpose of this exercise is therefore to identify in more detail the range of benefits that people derive from 4G connectivity and how these benefits contribute to these wider objectives as expressed through the S4GI Investment Objectives.

1.1.7 The evaluation is structured around a set of logic maps which identify a range of potential outcomes (changes in use of mobile phone and broadband) and impacts (the societal impacts of these changes) of the S4GI Programme. Primary research, in the form of online surveys and focus groups, with residents and businesses based in the areas affected by S4GI is undertaken in order to gather evidence of the potential outcomes and impacts identified.

1.1.8 This report sets out the findings from the research. It consists of further chapters as follows:

• Chapter 2 - provides a basic overview of 4G and the services it enables
• Chapter 3 - provides a discussion of the key benefits of improved digital connectivity as identified within the wider literature
• Chapter 4 - sets out a range of logic maps specifying the potential outcomes and impacts which may result from the delivery of the S4GI Programme
• Chapter 5 - discusses the methodological approach to the primary research and provides a summary of the achieved response
• Chapter 6 and 7 - provides a summary of the responses to the resident and business surveys respectively.
• Chapter 8 - sets out the findings from the focus groups.
• Chapter 9 - provides a summary of the research findings in the context of the S4GI investment objectives.