Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme questions: FOI release

Information requested

You asked:

'Digital Scotland' have repeatedly stated that they are 'looking at engineering solutions for EO (Exchange Only) lines.

1. What solutions have been looked at?
2. What solutions have been decided on?
3. What percentage and number of EO lines in Scotland have been converted to 'superfast'?
4. When will upgrading the EO lines on our exchange take place?

Response

The answers to your questions are as follows:

1. As supplier to the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) programme, Openreach have explored a range of solutions to extend fibre broadband access to EO lines. The solution utilised to provide fast fibre broadband can vary from exchange to exchange. For example, a new cabinet may need to be installed to provide fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) technology or fibre may be provided to premises directly, known as fibre to the premises (FTTP) technology.

2. As above.

3. To date, approximately 246,000 EO lines within the Rest of Scotland contract area and approximately 105,000 EO lines within the Highlands & Islands contract area have been given access to infrastructure capable of superfast speeds. However, the Scottish Government does not hold information on the total number of EO lines in Scotland. I, therefore, cannot confirm what percentage of all EO lines in Scotland this represents.

Section 17(1) of FOISA (information not held) requires the Scottish Government to notify you if it does not have the information you requested. The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because that information is held by Openreach. This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

4. Unfortunately, your premises will not be connected under the DSSB programme. Any premises that will not be connected, either through the DSSB programme or through commercial means, will fall within the remit of the Scottish Government’s Reaching 100% (R100) programme, as per our commitment to ensure that every home and business in Scotland has superfast broadband access – of speeds greater than 30 Megabits per second (Mbps).

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.