Broadway Partners Overcome Problems with Pembrokeshire FTTP Rollout

The part publicly funded effort by Broadway Partners (ISP Broadway Broadband) to deploy a new Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband network to cover several rural communities in Pembrokeshire (Wales) appears to have hit a few problems, which has slowed their progress. But they may have already overcome them.

Over the past year the Pembrokeshire County Council’s (PCC), which has been acting through their wider Digital Connectivity Programme (DCP), has awarded Broadway a number of contracts to help extend FTTP into several communities (here, here, here and here).

In this case the first set of issues they’re facing seem to be mostly hitting several Phase 1 areas, including Ambleston and New Moat (a separate build in Walton East is also impacted). A recent meeting of the Wiston Ward Community Council noted that the process was “slow going,” which was attributed to unspecified problems “between contractors and telegraph poles“.

On top of that the Phase 2 contract in the two nearby communities of Wiston and Slebech was recently “held up” after the scheme was placed under “commercial review” by the Government’s (DCMS) Building Digital UK programme, although such reviews are a normal part of the approval process, and we understand that both builds can now proceed.

A Spokesperson for Broadway Partners told ISPreview.co.uk:

“Broadway is honoured to have been chosen by numerous communities across Pembrokeshire to deliver FTTP connectivity and is working closely with the Council Broadband Team to ensure speedy delivery across the county. In common with many in the industry Broadway has suffered delays as a result of Covid restrictions and, more recently, periodic shortages in key materials.

The good news is that these initial challenges have been overcome, and the first residents and businesses in Ambleston have now been connected, with more connecting each week.

We expect to start connecting Dale, New Moat and Crymych in the next few months.

With funding now secured, Broadway anticipates a significant acceleration in the rate of deployment over the next few months, supporting its ambition to deliver FTTP to substantially all of Pembrokeshire by 2025.”

We should add that Broadway currently plans to build across several other pilot areas in Pembrokeshire, including Dale, Crymych, Herbrandston, Nevern, Angle, Tiers Cross and Lawrenny and Marletwy. Local residents can still register their interest in any of these via the provider’s website (here).

In addition, Broadway only recently secured a massive investment boost of £145m from Downing LLP (here), which will fuel their full fibre broadband rollout and see them aim to cover 250,000 UK homes and businesses by 2025 – mostly across rural parts of Scotland and Wales.