What assessment it has made of the delivery of superfast broadband in rural areas, particularly in any places where mobile phone signal, da…

Despite the reserved nature of telecommunications in the UK, the Scottish Government has chosen to step in and make substantial investments in both broadband and mobile digital connectivity across Scotland.The over-£600 million investment in the Reaching 100% (R100) programme is building upon our strong track record of delivery, with Scottish Government led programmes delivering improved broadband to over one million properties so far.Through a rolling Open Market Review, the Scottish Government continuously monitors broadband coverage across Scotland. This process enables the identification of premises that are eligible for future publicly subsided interventions, including those to be delivered through the UK Government’s Project Gigabit broadband investment, for which the Scottish Government will act as contracting authority for local and regional procurements.We also recognise how vital access to mobile connectivity is, especially in rural areas. We have recently published an evaluation of our £28.75 million Scottish 4G Infill Programme, which has delivered 4G connectivity to 55 ‘notspots’ across rural and island Scotland, highlighting the transformational benefits that this new coverage is delivering to businesses and communities alike.