An Aberdeenshire community will hold an emergency meeting to try resolve an ongoing broadband issue that often leaves residents with no internet for days.
Bennachie Community Council has raised concerns over the unreliable internet network in the Garioch area which repeatedly goes down.
Members will meet with Aberdeenshire Council representatives to share their worries and frustration with the delayed roll-out of ultrafast broadband across the region.
The Scottish Government had initially hoped to connect every home and business in the country to gigabit-speed internet by 2021, but the deadline was later pushed to 2028.
The main aim of the Reaching 100% (R100) programme was to improve connectivity in rural and island communities, which often struggle with slow or intermittent internet.
However, as of last September only 20% of households in Aberdeenshire – the equivalent of 26,171 homes – have been linked to the full-fibre network.
A report by Ofcom revealed that while 107,742 homes in the region had access to superfast internet, a total of 11,626 were not able to receive decent broadband.
What about the rest of the north?
This has proven to be an issue in all parts of Scotland, with 10% of Highland residents still without access to good-speed internet and only 31% currently with ultrafast access.
Island communities have been the worst-hit by the delay in delivering the R100 programme.
In Shetland and Orkney, only 5% (655 premises) and 2% (264 premises) have been connected to full-fibre broadband, respectively.
The crucial impact of the lack of good connection in rural communities was highlighted in October last year when Shetland was left completely cut off for three days.
Police declared a “major incident” on the islands when locals lost all form of communication after a subsea cable connecting them to the mainland was damaged.
Members of the Bennachie Community Council now hope to avoid such incidents happening in Garioch and alleviate some of the challenges locals face every day.
The meeting will be held at the Chapel of Garioch hall at 7pm on Wednesday, April 19.
Conversation