Councillor urges folk to respond to Digital Connectivity inquiry

As part of the inquiry, the Committee has a wider 'Call for Evidence' which asking four main questions about digital connectivity -

• What are the main barriers to delivering full-fibre and gigabit-capable broadband in Scotland's rural and island communities?
• What is the future outlook for 5G deployment in rural Scotland, and what lessons can be taken from the 4G rollout?
• What are the knock-on impacts to transitioning to digital services for those in Scotland's rural communities, including the phase-out of Radio Teleswitch Service (RTS), the move away from analogue landlines, and moving towards an online-only television service?
• And what role could satellite technologies, or other alternative solutions play in improving connectivity in Scotland's remote areas ?

As part of their inquiry, the Committee has an online survey, open until Friday 9th January 2026, for anyone who has 'faced issues with digital connectivity'.

Dennis Leask, who chairs the Shetland Islands Council's Development Committee, is asking Shetland residents to respond to the survey -

"We need to ensure that the Scottish Affairs Committee has the full-picture of digital connectivity in Shetland, by sharing evidence of the realities of digital provision for our island community. We all depend on reliable digital infrastructure, whether it's mobile or broadband networks, for so many aspects of modern life.

"After recent outages, we have realised how fragile our infrastructure can sometimes be, and what impact this has when we lose our digital connectivity. I'd urge folk to respond to the Committee's inquiry and share their experiences, so the Committee can make recommendations to improve future provision."

Anyone who wishes to make a written submission to the inquiry, either as an individual or organisation, must do so by 5pm on Monday 5th January 2026.

The Scottish Affairs Committee is a cross-party committee of MPs that scrutinises the expenditure, administration and policies of the Scotland Office, and its associated bodies, in the UK Government. The Committee also examines the wider UK Government, to assess policies and legislation that lead to direct impacts on Scotland. More details can be found at:

Published: 17th December 2025