- 13/07/2015
- Posted by: Mike Hedges MS
- Category: Uncategorized
42,000 more premises are set to receive superfast broadband in Wales as the successful Superfast Cymru Programme is expanded, Welsh Labour’s Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James has announced.
Mike said ‘I welcome this news that further premises are to receive superfast broadband in the coming days. I have previously expressed concern that the Llansamlet and Birchgrove areas have not been upgraded. I would urge anyone waiting for their line to be upgraded to contact their broadband suppliers for news of when it will be in their areas.’
Superfast Cymru has already made great progress with around 480,000 premises now able to access faster broadband speeds. This stage of the programme has been backed by funding from the Welsh Labour Government, European Regional Development Fund and UK Government. When combined with the commercial roll-out 79 per cent of premises in Wales have access to faster fibre broadband, putting Wales ahead of the EU average and of countries such as France and Italy.
Superfast Cymru will now run until June 2017 in order to cover the additional premises which have been identified since the project began. These premises are either new build or were due for roll-out under telecommunications companies’ own plans and have been subsequently deemed to be economically unviable. In addition, a contract has been let with high speed wireless specialists Airband to bring superfast broadband to 2,000 more premises in business parks and industrial estates across Wales by Summer 2016.
Further measures include:
• Through negotiations with BT, “Fibre on Demand” will be available across the majority of Wales. This is a business-focussed Ultrafast broadband technology, which will be available by the end of summer 2015 to the majority of premises in Wales.
• A take up target for superfast broadband of fifty percent by 2024. Current take up is 22 per cent in areas which have had the service for over one year, one of the highest in the UK.
• Work is continuing on a new scheme to make superfast speeds available to all homes and businesses across Wales. It will build on the success of the Access Broadband Cymru scheme and will use a range of technologies including satellite, wireless and 4G to deliver superfast speeds.
