IMPROVED broadband service has come to one of the smallest communities in Helensburgh and Lomond – sparking calls for similar upgrades in other rural communities in Argyll and Bute.

Residents of Portincaple, on the outskirts of Garelochhead, now have access to superfast broadband services after BT Openreach confirmed that a new cabinet installed in the hamlet is now operational.

Lomond North councillor George Freeman confirmed he had been fighting for the service to be provided in the area for over two years.

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But his Kintyre and the Islands counterpart Alastair Redman, a long-standing advocate of better broadband for rural parts of Argyll and Bute, says more needs to be done.

Councillor Freeman said: “I met with a senior Digital Scotland representative and council representative way back in June 2017 which led to a commitment from Digital Scotland that superfast broadband for Portincaple would be included within the superfast broadband rollout.

“This became possible as a result of funding being secured through the Gainshare process.

“Gainshare is additional funding that is secured when take-up levels of superfast broadband exceed the base levels set in the BT contracts which means that less subsidy should be needed to support the delivery of the contracts.

“This has been a difficult process with many problems along the way, including getting fibre from the Garelochhead telephone exchange back to Portincaple, and the installation of a new cabinet.

“Even when this work had eventually been completed, problems were encountered when asbestos was discovered that had to be removed before the project could move on.

“I have no doubt that Digital Scotland and council officers became tired with my regular requests for updates on this project.”

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Councillor Redman said that there had been a slight improvement in the rollout of improved broadband on Islay, where he lives.

But he said: “The problem has always been the percentage-based system we work on, where we brag about 75 per cent coverage for Argyll and Bute.

“This is not realising that once you take out the major towns and villages, the hinterland is left with a sub-par service.

“We must go for an outside-in approach, where you start in the remote areas and work inwards towards the urban areas. That way, you don’t have towns with good internet while the rural areas have practically dial-up connections.

“Argyll and Bute is the third lowest in Scotland for broadband connections. We are now putting everybody online – even the Inland Revenue asks if you want things done online. This is not an option for huge parts of Argyll.

“Things have improved, but not fast enough.”