Dumfries businesses lose out over lack of superfast broadband

More than twelve million pounds is being invested by Dumfries and Galloway Council to speed up the roll-out of superfast broadband.

The authority hopes that 100% of all homes and businesses will be connected by 2021.

But a business, just ten minutes outside of Dumfries, has spoken out about losing customers due to a lack of internet access.

The Mabie House Hotel is unable to take bookings online because the internet connection isn't fast enough.

The hotel's manager has criticised the council for not moving quick enough when it comes to providing superfast broadband.

The owners of Mabie House Hotel can't get any wifi on site so they set up their broadband hub further down the road with a neighbour. But if the wifi goes down for any reason, they have to wait for that neighbour to come home and reset it. It means they sometimes go for hours without any internet.

Nationally the average download speed is 23.4 megabits per second. The average broadband speed in the Scottish Borders is just 14.7 megabits per second. Cumbria is above the average at 26.1 megabits per second. The speed is even better in Dumfries and Galloway where it's 27.3 megabits per second. However, that speed can only be accessed at three quarters of homes and business.