The Better Broadband Infill Project run by Swansea Bay City Deal’s Digital Infrastructure Programme has decided to sign a contract with BT to deliver full fibre broadband access to 1,533 premises and another 256 sites across the four counties that form the Swansea Bay City Region i.e. Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire
The harder to reach areas are described as largely being in rural areas in the press release, so this looks like a very different rollout compared to Infill contract that WeFibre delivered in Cardiff. For this new Openreach contract there is no shortage of slow properties across the four counties as our map showing postcodes where expected speeds are under 24 Mbps highlights. A quick tally for the number of premises without access to something faster than 30 Mbps gives a figure of around 12,100 premises without a fixed line superfast broadband option – so the contract is a step forward but not the end game.
The gap between the 1,533 premises and our figure of 12,100 may close further since the contract is targeting premises where other government funded projects or commercial builds are on the way and current speeds are under 30 Mbps
This project is a game-changer for our region. By bringing high-speed internet to areas that have been left behind, we are not only improving quality of life but also opening up new opportunities for economic and social development.
Access to reliable broadband is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. This project will ensure that everyone in the Swansea Bay region can participate fully in the digital age.
Cllr. Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council and Chair of the Swansea Bay City Deal Joint Committee
Connectivity is at the heart of how people live and work today, but all of that relies on the right infrastructure being in place.
The Better Broadband Infill Project will improve services for thousands of people across the Swansea Bay City Region, who will benefit from state-of-the-art connectivity even in hard-to-reach areas
Susi Marston, Head of Public Sector Wales at BT,
BT is providing additional funding on top of the £10 million and while no figure is given if the rollout is targeting rural hotspots we would expect the additional funding be somewhere the £10 million mark or possibly more. A lot depends on the locations in the contract i.e. are they miles from existing Openreach FTTP or just outside the footprint of current or planned commercial Openreach FTTP.
The first 220 premises under the project should go live by December 2025 and there is a completion date of 31st March 2027.
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Is there anywhere to get more info on where the first 220 are that you say is mentioned should go live by December 2025? Or which parts of each county are likely to have FTTP rolled out?
I live in Tenby (Pembrokeshire) where the vast majority of town was covered with fibre by Openreach last year, apart my my estate (of over 150 houses), which they said had too many blocked ducts to make it viable, but that it would be covered by a future scheme.
Across Swansea Bay Area expect a lot more commercially than 220 in next year. So its keep an eye out for footprint creeping closer or local roadworks and bits of hardware appearing on poles.