WIREDGOV

The Superfast Cymru programme has hit the halfway mark with nearly 346,000 homes and businesses in Wales now able to access fast fibre broadband thanks to the project, Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James announced yesterday.

Superfast Cymru, a partnership between the Welsh Government and BT, is bringing fast fibre broadband to areas across Wales which would not otherwise receive it.

The Welsh Government’s aim is for 96 per cent of premises in Wales to have the ability to access fast fibre broadband by the end of Spring 2016, which means that superfast broadband will become available to more people more quickly than the rest of the UK.

Superfast Cymru will mean that the majority of homes and businesses will be able to access broadband download speeds in excess of 30Mbps by 2016, with at least 40 per cent of all the premises in the intervention area also benefitting from access to services in excess of 100Mbps.

As well as hitting the half way mark another milestone was reached last month when it was announced that one million premises in Wales can now access BT’s fast fibre broadband as a result of Superfast Cymru and BT’s own commercial rollout.  

Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James said:

“Superfast Cymru is a huge undertaking, laying 17,500kms of optical fibre cable and installing around 3,000 new green roadside cabinets across Wales.  This will see 691,000 premises across Wales able to gain access to superfast broadband through the project.

“The pace of rollout for Wales is significant and BT faces a substantial challenge, because there are real obstacles to be overcome.  However, BT is working hard on the ground towards achieving our goals.

“There will be no let up in the pace of rollout as we continue towards the end of Spring 2016.  By September this year, work will be underway in every exchange area in Wales.  Every day more and more premises have the option to access superfast broadband and as geographical and other challenges continue to be resolved, more and more areas will join the many who already have access.”