Fact Sheet - Digital Connectivity
NPPP 2022 Factsheet:
DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE
Digital Connectivity
Good digital connectivity is increasingly seen as a basic service that is required by residents, businesses, students, visitors and the public sector.
There are currently 28 telephone exchanges that cover the National Park, not all of which are located within the National Park boundary. All 28 exchanges are enabled to provide asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) broadband, with all but two capable of providing connection speeds of up to 8 Mbps. (ASDL is a broadband connection provided over home telephone lines.)
This remains one of the National Park’s biggest challenges. The CNP (71%) falls below the national average (93%) in terms of premises with superfast broadband. Particular areas of concern are the rural areas surrounding the settlements of Grantown-on-Spey, Kingussie and Ballater.
The Scottish Governments R100 Program intended to deliver superfast broadband to all Scottish homes within in the next few years but delivery forecasts have been extended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
4G Not Spots
4G Not Spots remain a significant problem in rural areas and the Cairngorms National Park is no exception. Although coverage has improved in recent years and remains strongest with the carrier EE (Figures I and 2), in terms of delivering 4G accessibility, there are still areas within the Park that have no 4G coverage with any of the four main carriers (see individual not spot maps below: black areas indicate not spots).
Further Information
Broadband and the National Park: https://cairngorms.co.uk/working-together/tourism-business/cairngorms-broadband/
Delivering R100: https://www.gov.scot/news/delivering-r100/
Community Broadband Scotland: https://www.hie.co.uk/latest-news/2018/january/24/change-of-focus-for-community-broad- band-scotland/