Government to move forward with plans for new telecoms cable to Shetland
THE SCOTTISH Government has committed to the “pre-development phase” of another subsea digital communications cable connecting Shetland to the Scottish mainland.
First minister John Swinney is due to announce the commitment today (Tuesday) as he sets out the Scottish Government’s programme for government in parliament.
The programme outlines the actions the Scottish Government will take over the coming year, as well as its longer-term priorities towards 2030.
In recent years, Shetland has experienced widespread and prolonged digital blackouts following damage to the existing SHEFA-2 subsea cable, with the breakages blamed on fishing vessels.
One of the SNP’s election manifesto pledges was to “explore potential options for a subsea cable between Shetland and mainland Scotland which would provide high-speed internet and telecommunications for businesses and communities across the island”.
It came after Vodafone announced plans for its own feasibility study for a new cable last year.
Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad also campaigned for every internet provider to be connected by at least two subsea cables to the isles, ending “single point failure risk”.
One issue during recent internet blackouts was that some providers, including Vodafone, did not have access to back-up cable yet some others – including those under the BT banner – did.
Goodlad said: “During my election campaign, I visited the Faroe Islands and saw first-hand how connectivity and digital resilience have been placed at the heart of their community and business landscape.
“I was utterly convinced that this was what Shetland needed and, as a result, made it a key commitment in my manifesto.
“Since being elected, I have been using my voice to highlight the urgent need for a second cable connecting Shetland to mainland Scotland, and I am delighted that this has now been included as part of a bold Programme for Government.
“This is the first building block towards creating true resilience for Shetland’s digital connectivity. Reliable connectivity is fundamental to all of our lives, our local lifeline services and our businesses, and we cannot afford to be left vulnerable to further outages.”
In Vodafone’s announcement last year it said a new cable could open new opportunities for developments like data centres.
This Shetland News piece published earlier today explores the potential for a data centre in the isles, with the former Scatsta Airport at one point shortlisted as a possible location.
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