Faster broadband helps growth in business turnover
FASTER broadband has driven a £9bn increase in turnover for businesses, according to new figures.
The boost has come from the Government rollout of superfast broadband, which the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) confirmed has now reached almost five million homes and businesses.
But Plaid Cymru claimed broadband speeds in Wales still lagged behind those across the border.
Digital Minister Margot James said an independent assessment of the rollout showed the benefit to local businesses.
She said: “Our rollout of superfast broadband across the UK has been the most challenging infrastructure project in a generation, but is one of our greatest successes.
“We are reaching thousands more homes and businesses every week, that can now reap the clear and tangible benefits that superfast broadband provides.”
Ms James said the target was to ensure everyone in the UK has access to fast and affordable broadband by 2020 and nationwide gigabit connectivity by 2033.
In Wales, the coverage rate is 94.7%, with 700,364 homes reached. The take-up rate of superfast broadband in areas reached by the Government’s rollout is 42.51%.
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said: “The UK Government is delivering on its promise to speed up service for thousands of residents and businesses across Wales. While it is often challenging to reach some of the most rural parts of the country, today’s figures demonstrate a real increase in service coverage, which together with the Universal Service Commitment by 2020 will ensure residents can legally expect a minimum level of service from their providers, wherever they are in Wales.”
The findings come a year after a report revealed that Wales has some of the slowest speeds of anywhere in the UK.
A major study by consumer organisation Which? showed four of the 10 constituencies with the slowest download speeds in the UK are in Wales, with Carmarthen East and Dinefwr in the top position. Montgomeryshire, Brecon and Radnorshire, and Ceredigion appeared in the list, which was dominated by Welsh and Scottish constituency areas.
Jonathan Edwards, Plaid Cymru’s MP for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said: “Westminster has matched its underinvestment in 20th-century infrastructure – like roads and railways – with its underinvestment in 21st-century infrastructure.
“Broadband speeds in Wales remain well behind most of England and the Labour Welsh Government has failed to plug the gaps left by Westminster.”
But Julie James, Welsh Labour AM and leader of the house at the Senedd, said the Superfast Cymru initiative had been a success.
She added: “Whole local authority areas would have been untouched by superfast broadband rollout without Superfast Cymru – now there is not one local authority area without access. Wales has some of the highest speeds in the UK in remote areas with the use of Fibre to the Premises.
“Deploying broadband at this scale and pace in the Welsh landscape, particularly rural areas, has proved extremely challenging and innovative solutions have had to be used at times, such as drones.
“While the programme has successfully changed the digital landscape in Wales, I am very aware that there remain premises without access and we are now working on how to reach these.”
In the latest figures released by the UK Government, the highest coverage rate is in north-east England (97.19%), followed by southeast England (97.07%) and the West Midlands (96.56%).
The lowest coverage level is in Northern Ireland (87.74%), followed by south-west England (93.34%) and Scotland (93.53%). The target is to ensure everyone in the UK has access to fast and affordable broadband by 2020