Superfast Broadband Rollout in Wales May Run to October 2017

The Superfast Cymru project, which is deploying BT’s “fibre broadband” (FTT/P) network out to 96% of Wales by the end of 2016 (691,000 extra premises) and a further 42,000 premises by June 2017, could run for a few months longer than currently planned.

At present BTOpenreach, which are supported by around £225 million of public funding through the project, is working hard to lay 17,500kms of new optical fibre cable and install approximately 3,000 new green roadside street cabinets. However the deployment may continue past the current June 2017 completion date for contract two.

According to Ed Hunt, Director of Superfast Cyrmu, some parts of the roll-out will require another 18 months to complete (e.g. Pembrokeshire) and that would take us to around September or October 2017. “There will be a second sweep around Wales after the initial delivery to get to those properties we fail to reach on the first round,” said Ed Hunt (here).

Ed also pointed to a lack of uptake in parts of Carmarthenshire where the service had already gone live (local take-up stands at about 12%) and called for locals to check their service availability via the Superfast Cymru website.

Meanwhile some angry residents expressed frustration that the current roll-out plan did not appear to include their areas and that there was still no clarity over when they would benefit, which is a frustration that will no doubt continue to become increasingly vocal until the Government clarifies how it will reach 100% of the country (the national target is still for 95% UK coverage of “superfast broadband” [24Mbps+] by 2017/18).

Separately Plaid Cymru, the local political party, has said that if it won power at the assembly election then they would work to cover 100% of Wales with Superfast Broadband by 2017 and make “ultrafast” connectivity available across the “length and breadth” of the country by 2025 (here). The Welsh Conservatives have also made a similar “superfast” commitment, although they warn that Plaid Cymru’s “ultrafast” pledge has not been costed.

Elsewhere Welsh Labour merely gave some words of support to their existing Superfast Cymru project and the Lib Dems called for “crisis negotiations with BT” in order to ensure that “every Welsh business hub and park, hospital and school has superfast broadband delivered by 2017.” Finally, UKIP criticised Plaid Cymru but didn’t offer a clear broadband policy of its own.