Question reference: S6W-05663
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 13 January 2022
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Current status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 January 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support will be made available for vulnerable customers during power outages in areas with poor mobile signal, in light of reported concerns about the planned switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of mobile and broadband connectivity for almost all aspects of everyday life which is why we are working closely with BT, Ofcom, UK Government and other network operators to ensure the migration from the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) to digital based services is as seamless as possible.
It is important to note that resilience of the Communications Sector, which includes telecommunications and internet, is reserved and therefore the responsibility of the UK Government
It is also important to note that the move to digital based services is an industry-led decision and process. This decision to upgrade the legacy PSTN network is driven by the increased difficulty in maintaining the current network, due to reduced availability of replacement parts and the reduction of expertise in aging analogue systems.
The telecoms regulator (Ofcom) have imposed a regulatory obligation on communications providers in General Condition A3 to take all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted access to emergency organisations for their customers.
Through the Scottish 4G Infill programme, we are investing £28.75 million in future-proofed infrastructure to improve access to 4G services for some of Scotland’s rural and island communities. The programme is targeting total notspots, areas where there is no outdoor coverage on any 4G network.
At present, the Scottish 4G Infill Programme is providing future-proofed, 4G mobile infrastructure at 25 locations across Scotland, from New Luce in Dumfries and Galloway to Reawick on Shetland. Up to 55 sites will be live and providing service by the end of the programme in 2023.
During Storm Arwen, telecoms operators were quick to respond, deploying emergency response teams that provided mitigating measures such as backup generators to affected sites.
Local Resilience Partnerships also provided welfare centres and offered Wi-Fi and mobile phone charging facilities where possible.
The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a Review into the response to Storm Arwen which aims to learn lessons and improve the response to power outages and associated impacts like those experienced in November 2021.
We will continue to press the UK Government and the regulator (Ofcom) for assurance that increasing resilience of the telecoms network in Scotland is a priority.