Two Welsh Government schemes are being expanded to further increase the number of people able to access superfast broadband in Wales, Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James has announced.
Wales already leads the way with the provision of superfast broadband among the devolved nations*, and Superfast Cymru continues to make good progress with over 530,000 premises in Wales now able to access fast fibre broadband thanks to the project.
The Superfast Cymru and commercial roll-outs mean that the vast majority of premises in Wales will be able access superfast broadband, but there will be a few per cent that will not.
Changes to the Access Broadband Cymru and Ultrafast Connectivity Voucher schemes will expand the availability of superfast broadband and will make faster internet speeds available to all homes and businesses across Wales.
For a two-year period, the Access Broadband Cymru scheme will be available to all homes and businesses across Wales which currently do not have a superfast connection.
This scheme will fund, or part-fund, the installation costs of new broadband connections for homes and businesses in Wales which deliver a step change in download speeds. There will be two levels of funding depending on the speed required, £400 for download speeds of 10Mbps and above and £800 for 30Mbps and above.
A range of technologies can be used to deliver superfast speeds including satellite, wireless and 4G.
The Ultrafast Connectivity Voucher is being opened up to businesses across Wales to help them meet the initial capital costs involved in installing ultrafast broadband services. The maximum grant available will be £10,000. This scheme was previously only available to businesses located in the Enterprise and Local Growth Zones.
Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James said:
“Superfast broadband is vital for homes and businesses, which is why the Welsh Government is committed to bringing faster broadband speeds to communities across Wales.
“These two expanded schemes, together with Superfast Cymru, our project to provide wireless broadband to 2000 premises on business parks and industrial estates, and the commercial roll-out by private companies, will make superfast speeds available to all homes and businesses across Wales.
“All the measures we are taking are helping to make Wales one of the best connected countries in the world.”
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