Residents in Perthshire have found themselves in the broadband slow lane after missing out on the next generation roll-out.
Communities across Perth and Kinross are currently benefiting from major investment in internet services.
BT engineers have been at work across the region to overhaul broadband provision and bring previously impossible internet speeds to homes and businesses.
The coverage will not be exhaustive and, as The Courier reported recently, some communities in Highland Perthshire are taking steps to address the issue themselves.
The extent of the communities missing out on the promised revolution is only now becoming clear.
Just half of the homes in Inchture can call upon the new superfast fibre broadband and, even in Perth, householders are missing out as their homes were built after much of the infrastructure that is being used to provide the improved services was installed.
One such area is Innerleithen Way, where residents have grown tired of glacial internet speeds.
“I have received numerous complaints from residents concerning internet access,” said local councillor Willie Wilson.
“We had hoped that the current roll-out of improved broadband would include Innerleithen Way and Coldstream Avenue.
“This goal has, however, proved to be only partially met as, while the latter has received an improved service from BT, Innerleithen Way has been left out in the cold.
“Some residents can barely call upon speeds of 2MB, which is totally inadequate for even domestic use of a personal computer.
“Youngsters have difficulty accessing the internet to assist with homework, while anyone in this street hoping to use the internet for business use is likely to be frustrated.
“It is particularly difficulty for residents to accept this situation, given the knowledge that there is a hub for fibre optic services less than 100 metres away on Glasgow Road.”
Mr Wilson said he had arranged to meet residents later this month to help them plan a coordinated campaign to address the situation.
Resident Graeme Milne is among those who have asked Mr Wilson to intervene.
He said: “I welcome this meeting as it is time we moved this on.”
Homes on the new estate in Inchture, meanwhile, have been omitted from the new fast broadband roll-out plans.
Neighbours have benefited from the public funding made available to progress the nationwide scheme taken forward locally by BT, Perth and Kinross Council and the Scottish Government.
The nearby hamlet of Aberntye has also received superfast fibre broadband leaving Inchture residents such as Alasdair Baily frustrated.
Mr Baily, who works from home for an internet business, said: “Londoners can get 60Mbit/s internet to their mobile phones thanks to 4G.
“In the new-build half of Inchture, however, the Scottish Government and Perth and Kinross Council don’t deem that we need more than 6Mbit/s.
“They have, however, found money to run cables 1.5 miles beneath a country lane to serve the hamlet of Abernyte.”
Perth and Kinross Council declined to comment on the difficulties being faced by some residents.