Jamie Greene MSP has responded to an Audit Scotland report which claimed that whilst progress is being made on the roll-out of superfast broadband across Scotland getting to the final percentage of residents and business, especially in rural areas, there were still significant challenges and cost implications.
The latest Audit Scotland review of the £412 million project shows a target to deliver access to a broadband network to 95% of homes and businesses by December 2017 is likely to be met.
However, the remaining areas are more rural and remote and "likely to need more complicated and costly engineering solutions", the report said.
Rural premises are also currently receiving lower average broadband speeds than in other areas.
Mr Greene was quoted in national newspapers last week as saying ""It is encouraging that some progress has been made on the roll-out of superfast broadband but it is clear there is still a lot of work to do.
"The remainder of the roll-out seems to be more challenging, complicated and costly but people deserve realistic, properly-funded and achievable guarantees on when this so-called superfast broadband is coming.
"I suggest that every potential technical solution to reach difficult-to-connect rural areas is put on the table."
He concluded by adding "There are many, many people contacting me on a weekly basis to complain that their internet is so slow it is virtually unusable. This affects children’s ability to research and study online, it affects people who work from home or who run small businesses and also in general reduces the ability to make to the most of home entertainment services that I think people have the right to enjoy. "
