Posted: 14th Feb, 2006 By: MarkJ
Research from the Welsh Assembly Governments Broadband Wales Programme suggests that broadband uptake increased by 14% over the last year:
The survey, of 5,500 residents across the 22 Local Authorities, shows a phenomenal two in five (39%) Welsh residents now have broadband, substantiating recent reports that the UK has the highest broadband penetration in Europe, leapfrogging previous market leaders France and Germany.
Moreover, its expected that broadband uptake in Wales will continue to soar as the final 35 unviable telephone exchanges in Wales are switched on later this year as part of the Welsh Assembly Governments Broadband Wales Programme Regional Innovative Broadband Support Scheme (RIBS), a match-funded project designed to achieve a competitive broadband infrastructure supply across Wales.
In January 2005, Cardiff boasted the highest level of broadband connectivity in Wales with 41% of the Capitals residents accessing broadband. A year on, and uptake in other parts of Wales has also begun to soar including The Vale of Glamorgan (51%), Neath Port Talbot (46%) and Swansea (44%), with healthy uptake levels also recorded in Monmouthshire (41%), Flintshire (40%) and Conwy (38%).The
Total Telecom item also notes how computer ownership in Wales increased to 71% and Internet access at home to 63%.