Broadband boost as Swansea benefits from G.fast pilot trial

THOUSANDS of homes and businesses in Swansea can now get some of the fastest broadband speeds in the UK.

It comes as Openreach has begun switching on the pilot areas for its new ultrafast broadband network.

More than 12,500 households and businesses in places like Uplands, Sketty, Gowerton and Townhill are set to benefit from the new ultrafast service, known as G.fast, which provides download speeds of up to 330Mbps – more than 10 times the UK average.

Swansea is one of 18 pilot locations in the UK for the new service.

The faster speeds that ultrafast broadband brings means a two-hour HD film can be downloaded in just 90 seconds, a 45-minute HD TV show in just 16 seconds and a nine-hour audio book in just three seconds. A number of providers , including BT, can now offer the faster service to customers in the city, with various pricing regimes.

Ynyr Roberts, Openreach’s programme director for Wales, said: “A huge amount of effort and substantial investment has already taken place in the development of this exciting new technology. So I’m delighted to announce that we can now start connecting people in Swansea and at the 19 other locations around the country.

“These pilot schemes are hugely important to us and to the local households and businesses, which will be able to benefit from G.fast.”

Engineers have spent recent months upgrading the network in several parts of the city to prepare for G.fast’s arrival.