Digital connectivity is fundamental to how Scotland’s islands operate and function. Recent weather events and severe storms have once again highlighted how vulnerable island communities can be when digital and telecommunications infrastructure is disrupted.
In response, the Scottish Islands Federation (SIF) hosted an online Digital Connectivity Resilience meeting in November. The session brought together representatives from island communities, government and network providers to explore how resilience can be strengthened. Its purpose was to learn more about current and planned work by the Scottish and UK Governments on broadband and telecommunications resilience, to discuss practical solutions to the specific challenges faced by islands, and to consider how communities, government, Openreach and network providers can work more effectively together to improve preparedness and response.
These notes capture the key discussions, insights and actions arising from the session and are shared to support ongoing collaboration and progress in this critical area.