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Connecting Scotland our broadband future: Making it Happen
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Both business and the public sector are growing increasingly aware of the possibilities offered by broadband. Since the publication of our strategy we have seen some progress in the commercial deployment of broadband but a major two-fold task remains. We have to stimulate the supply of services and increase demand for and take-up of these services. We have a comprehensive package of measures with short, medium and long-term impacts.
In the short term, we will make a major intervention into the broadband market in Scotland to accelerate the deployment and business take up of ADSL services in selected areas. We aim to make broadband available in those areas where the market would take too long to deliver access to the technology, if ever.
In addition to this, in these areas we will work to raise awareness of broadband's potential; we will provide the support and training needed to allow more Scottish businesses to grasp the opportunity offered by broadband.
In the short term, on the demand side, we are:
- Rolling out demonstrator centres across the country;
- Providing seminars and roadshows to drive up interest in broadband;
- Developing high quality materials to ensure that the best information is available on broadband; and
- Developing a website to provide advice and information on broadband.
In the medium term, on the supply side, we are:
- Piloting aggregated procurement by the public sector;
- Intervening in the market to increase competition;
- Trialling alternative delivery mechanisms in rural areas; and
- Providing a focus to encourage the development of content and applications.
In the longer term, we will continue to take a strategic approach to the development of broadband across Scotland.
We believe that strides forward have been taken since the publication of Connecting Scotland: our broadband future. This document details these as well as giving clear direction for the future.
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