Scotland's £697m Reaching 100% programme has now connected more than 100,000 premises, though some north-of-Scotland contract areas are reportedly at risk of running past their original dates.
The Scottish Government's R100 programme has passed 100,000 premises connected, a milestone worth marking: for most of those households and businesses, this is the first time superfast broadband has reached their door.
The picture is not uniform. Reporting on the north Scotland contract has raised the possibility of parts of the build slipping to 2027, later than residents were originally told. Remaining areas across the three R100 contracts are scheduled for completion by March 2028.
Progress is real and worth acknowledging — so is holding delivery dates to account when they move. See current scheme status on Get help.
The Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme, worth up to £5,000 towards a faster connection, closes to new applications on 20 November 2026. In Aberdeenshire alone, 2,089 premises are still eligible and have not used it.
WIRES has sent its submission to the Competition and Markets Authority's inquiry into BT's purchase of TalkTalk, asking that any approval protects prices, guarantees access to a social tariff and recognises the greater effect in rural Scotland. The full text is here. Comments closed on 9 October; the CMA reports by 19 October.
We read the published digital strategies of Scotland's 32 councils. Of the 24 we could verify, only Glasgow has a standalone strategy on digital exclusion. In 22, it is a theme inside a plan about the council's own services. Eight we couldn't confirm.
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