Rural towns and villages in South West Wales are set to benefit from UK Government’s Project Gigabit, which aims to deliver gigabit-capable connectivity to hard-to-reach premises across Britain by 2030.
The programme is a key component of the Government’s Plan for Change, designed to stimulate economic growth and remove barriers to opportunity, with a goal of achieving as close to 100% gigabit coverage by 2030 as possible.
This latest rollout will ensure that harder to reach communities benefit from some of the fastest broadband speeds available, providing better access to essential services such as healthcare , remote education, and video calls. It will also support businesses to grow and provide better opportunities for young people to secure work locally.
Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council and Chair of the Swansea Bay City Deal’s joint committee said:
“This is fantastic news for the rural communities in our region who will benefit from this UK Government investment. The Swansea Bay City Deal is fully supportive of initiatives that directly better the lives of people and businesses and this is a great example of how investment into digital infrastructure can provide more opportunities both socially and economically to communities, who would have otherwise been left behind.”
The announcement is part of four new contracts worth over £289 million, aimed at delivering gigabit-capable broadband to around 131,000 additional homes and businesses across England and Wales.
Unlike existing copper-based networks, gigabit connections are less likely to slow down at peak times, meaning no more battling for bandwidth with neighbours. Gigabit networks can easily handle multiple devices simultaneously, allowing the whole family to surf, stream, and download seamlessly.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said: “Powered by this UK Government investment, thousands more people and businesses across Wales will have access to ultra-fast broadband. Our top priority is to drive sustained economic growth. To achieve this, it is vital that every part of Wales has full coverage as quickly as possible to boost productivity in all our communities.”
The Digital Infrastructure Programme is committed to supporting these efforts, ensuring that rural communities in the Swansea Bay City Region are not left behind in the digital age.
The team will continue to work closely with UK Government’s Building Digital UK (BDUK) and Openreach as Project Gigabit goes into delivery. BDUK will have further regional updates over the next few months giving a clearer idea of timeframes and locations that will benefit from Project Gigabit.
Upgrading and expanding existing networks is a complex process, requiring technical surveys and coordination with existing commercial plans and multiple local authority departments, including planning and highways. As a result, delivering gigabit-capable broadband can take time. Watch this short video for an overview of the process.
