Superfast Cymru Connect First South Wales Areas to BT Fibre Broadband

The state aid supported Superfast Cymru project has announced that four Blaenau Gwent towns have become the first communities in South Wales (United Kingdom) to benefit from its joint scheme with BT, which aims to make fibre optic based broadband (FTTC/P) available to 96% of Welsh premises by the end of spring 2016.

The newly connected communities of Abertillery, Cwm, Ebbw Vale and Tredegar have already been announced as part of the projects preliminary rollout plan to the end of spring 2014 (full details). Apparently more than 17,000 local homes and businesses in the area(s) can receive the technology and this should reach 26,000 once the roll-out is complete.

Ed Hunt, BT’s Superfast Cymru Director, said:

“BT’s commercial roll-out has already given access to fibre broadband to more than 550,000 homes and businesses in Wales and this ambitious project is set to significantly boost those numbers.

This announcement today is an important milestone for South Wales and Blaenau Gwent in particular and a real boost to homes and businesses in these valley towns. Fibre broadband can provide a multitude of opportunities for families to explore new horizons that will enrich their lives while it will enable businesses to grow and compete on a level playing field with competitors anywhere in the world.

Fibre broadband is making big inroads now in North Wales with Superfast Cymru but by the end of the year people living in Hirwaun, Mountain Ash, Ogmore Valley, Pentyrch and Rhiwderin will also be able to see the benefits of this big jump in internet speeds as fibre broadband reaches them.”

The next areas to go live as part of the initial deployment phase will be Brynmawr and Blaina, alongside around 50 others, by the end of the 2013 (see the link above for more details). A further 63 locations will then go live during H1-2014, although the remaining rollout for 2014/15/16 has yet to be announced.