Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney has demanded that the UK Government implement a Universal Service Obligation (USO) for broadband services, to ensure universal broadband.
Swinney has written a letter to the UK Minister for the Digital Economy, Ed Vaizey, to demand specific broadband obligation which will ensure affordable, high-speed broadband in Scotland.
As per the current Universal Service Obligation (USO) for telecoms, every household in the country must be connected to a telephone line while it does not have any provision of broadband.
The minister demanded that there should be a telecom USO which will ensure universal broadband access to everyone in Scotland, whereever they may live.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: "Broadband is something that everyone in Scotland should have access to – it’s a vital service in today’s world. That is why I am pressing the UK Government to introduce a broadband Universal Service Obligation, which would set out access as an entitlement.
"The introduction of a USO for broadband with an appropriate speed requirement, as introduced by Finland, Malta and Spain in recent years, would be a way of ensuring that no-one is excluded from the benefits of this integral technology.
"This government is prioritising investment that will play a key role in driving fibre broadband to non-commercial areas.
"With our partners we are investing £410 million through the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme to extend fibre broadband infrastructure to areas where the market would not otherwise go. This will ensure that 95 per cent of premises across Scotland will have access to fibre broadband by the end of 2017."
