WIREDGOV

Access to superfast broadband on Wrexham Industrial Estate is to be expanded as part of the Welsh Government’s Superfast Infill Project, which is bringing fast fibre broadband to areas not currently covered by Superfast Cymru or commercial roll-out.

Part of the first stage to further expand plans for superfast broadband in Wales has begun with an invitation to tender by the Welsh Government to bring fast fibre to business premises.  Wrexham Industrial Estate is included in this first phase.

The Superfast Infill Project complements the already extensive Superfast Cymru programme, and part of the first phase will look at bringing fast fibre broadband to business premises not currently covered in other roll outs by June 2016.  

The project follows an Open Market Review which identified those areas not currently part of a commercial roll-out and which are not part of Superfast Cymru.  The Welsh Government consulted on the review last year and carried out a survey in the area affected.  Additional funding was also announced to further extend coverage of superfast broadband in Wales.

Business premises in the wider Wrexham and Deeside area are also set to benefit from the Superfast Infill Project. Full details of the procurement, including coverage maps, can be found at http://www.sell2wales.gov.uk.

Parts of Wrexham Industrial Estate already have access to superfast broadband through the Dutton Diffeth exchange which has been enabled under the Superfast Cymru programme.   Businesses can find out if they can access fast fibre broadband now by registering their details on the Superfast Cymru website: www.superfast-cymru.com.

Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James said:

“We have been working to resolve the issues around Wrexham Industrial Estate as quickly as possible.  I am very aware of the need for businesses to have access to superfast broadband and I am pleased that as well as some premises having access already through Superfast Cymru, we are now able to move forward with plans for superfast broadband to be available to more people on the estate.  

“Superfast Cymru is a huge undertaking.  Recent figures have shown that already the combination of the commercial roll-out and Superfast Cymru has resulted in 1m premises having the potential to access fast fibre broadband in Wales.  This is a tremendous achievement.

“Despite the huge scale of the Superfast Cymru programme a small proportion of premises are not covered by it or the commercial roll-out as identified by the review we have carried out.  We are committed to bringing fast fibre coverage across Wales and the infill project, including Wrexham Industrial Estate, is part of that work.”

Areas such as Wrexham Industrial Estate were not included in the Superfast Cymru programme as they were originally due to be part of the  roll-out of commercial companies, and therefore could not be covered.  The Open Market Review and consultation have shown that this has not taken place and the first stage of the infill will aim to address this by June 2016.  Superfast Cymru and the Infill Project can only provide fast fibre broadband to areas not covered by commercial build.