On the day of the debate in the Scottish Parliament on ‘Scotland’s Next Generation Broadband Infrastructure Plan’, MSP Murdo Fraser has called on the Scottish Government to ensure that rural areas such Perthshire should see investment that at least matches investment in urban areas. The Scottish Government’s plan sets out proposals to improve Scotland’s digital infrastructure that will allow broadband internet speeds to become five times faster by 2015. Murdo Fraser said: “I welcome the vision to see faster broadband for the whole of Scotland and the Scottish Government must remember that rural Perthshire and other rural areas must be the priority area in broadband investment. “Just now there are rural communities and households Perthshire who are unable to access broadband or are being offered extremely slow and unreliable services. It is extremely disappointing and frustrating for our local communities to hear the Scottish Government continuously state that broadband speeds will increase yet we see a bigger gulf every year between rural areas and the cities. “For too long rural areas Perthshire, such as parts of Highland Perthshire and the Glenshee area, have been short changed by the lack of broadband connectivity and the lack of fast and reliable broadband.”