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<p><i> From Alistair Carmichael MP:</i></p>
<p>Many constituents have contacted me regarding this matter in
recent weeks to raise their concerns about the way the changeover
is being handled and the implications for safety and resilience in
the network for the isles, particularly in the case of power cuts
– and I am glad to report that next Wednesday I will lead a debate
on the topic.<br>
Most of the copper wire network planned to be closed by the end of
2025 as it is replaced with broadband connections, but we all know
that rural and island areas of the UK have some of the lowest
rates of broadband connection. The news this week that Openreach
has now reached the “halfway” point in its broadband upgrade
programme will be cold comfort for the many households in the
isles which continue to wait.<br>
Besides the issue of rollout of broadband to the isles there is
the matter of power cuts. During power outages in Shetland in
December 2022, some properties were left without power for as long
as six days. The replacement “Voice over Internet Protocol” (VoIP)
system only has a resilience of one hour using a backup battery
with Openreach, and relies on a broadband connection.<br>
We need a proper plan to maintain resilience in future, whatever
happens to the copper network. There is a lack of confidence in
the switchover as things stand – particularly for people who are
the most isolated or reliant on emergency connections.<br>
I have raised concerns about the copper wire network in Parliament
before and the answers have not been good enough. Now is the time
for ministers and officials to brush up and front up on what they
are going to do to ensure that the new systems work for vulnerable
people and for our island communities.<br>
The debate will be held at 9.30am on Wednesday 13th December. I
would urge anyone with concerns about the changes to the network
to contact my office ahead of time (at <a
href="mailto:alistair.carmichael.mp@parliament.uk"
style="text-decoration: underline; color: #2b59c3;"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext">alistair.carmichael.mp@parliament.uk</a>),
so that we can present the strongest possible evidence of the
potential impact. This is not about opposing change – but it is
about ensuring that the needs of our communities are heard.
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