28
December
2014
|
23:00
Europe/London

Superfast Broadband reaches across Isle of Anglesey

Work to bring faster internet speeds to homes and businesses is now taking place in every telephone exchange area on Anglesey thanks to the Superfast Cymru programme, Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Julie James announced today.

The latest community to benefit is Brynsiencyn where the engineering work began earlier this month and the first cabinets have already started going ‘live’, enabling people to order superfast broadband.

All other exchange areas across the island already have engineers from BT’s local network business, Openreach, connecting premises to faster broadband speeds.

Latest figures show that more than 60 per cent of premises on the island now have the potential to access superfast broadband – and availability is continuing to grow as engineering work continues.

Superfast Cymru, a partnership between the Welsh Government, UK Government, the European Regional Development Fund and BT, is rolling out high-speed fibre broadband to areas which would otherwise not receive it. The Welsh Government aim to make fibre available to 96 per cent of premises in Wales by Spring 2016 when combined with the commercial rollout by the private sector. The roll-out includes the Anglesey Enterprise Zone, which is a priority area for the programme.

The Deputy Minister said: “This is good news for Anglesey as work is now taking place across the island, bringing superfast broadband to premises in every exchange area. With over 60 per cent of premises on the island already able to access superfast broadband, homes and businesses in Brynsiencyn will soon be able to join them in enjoying faster internet speeds.

“The Superfast Cymru programme is making excellent progress in bringing fast fibre across Wales, often in difficult and challenging conditions. The programme also highlights the benefits of European funding to Wales and is an example of how this funding is making a real difference on the ground.”

One company already benefiting from superfast broadband on the island is M&G Windows and Doors from Gaerwen. The company has been trading for more than 21 years and received superfast broadband through Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) in June this year which gives them an average download speed of 80Mbps*.

Benefits have included a more efficient way of working, secure back up systems and improved staff efficiency. It has made the business more adaptable and versatile, has helped provide quick and easy access to documents and response times have improved as staff are able to work faster.

Ashley Jones, IT manager at the company said: “It is reassuring to know that we are future-proofing M&G Windows and we are able to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers. Once you have used FTTP in your business or home for 24 hours, you will understand why there is no going back.”

Ed Hunt, Superfast Cymru programme director for BT, said: “This is fantastic news for the people of Anglesey.

“Our engineers have worked incredibly hard to bring superfast broadband access to 20 exchange areas on the island and I’m very proud of what’s been achieved.

“Now that the network is well on its way to being completed on the island, I would urge homes and businesses to place their order with an internet service provider so that they can start taking advantage of these new superfast speeds.”

So far, more than 293, 000 homes and businesses have access to fibre broadband in Wales as a result of the Superfast Cymru programme and work is taking place in every single local authority area in Wales with approximately 400 BT engineers having spent more than 400,000 hours on the project.

Funding of £205m has been provided by the Welsh Government, the UK Government and the European Regional Development Fund, with BT contributing a further £220m to deliver fibre across Wales via its commercial rollout and the Superfast Cymru programme.

Households and businesses which want to take advantage of the benefits of fast fibre broadband should contact an internet service provider (ISP) of their choice to place an order.
Information about the rollout is published on the Superfast Cymru website (www.superfast-cymru.com) including a coverage map which provides details of rollout plans looking approximately 12 months ahead.
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Notes
*Depending on the package chosen with their internet provider, homes and businesses connected by Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) can access speeds of up to 330Mbs. M&G Windows and Doors from Gaerwen have opted to sign up for a product that delivers an average speed of 80Mbs.
For information about which exchange areas are already enabled go to the coverage map onhttp://www.superfast-cymru.com/where-and-when

About the Welsh Government and Superfast Cymru
The Welsh Government is the devolved Government for Wales. We are working to help improve the lives of people in Wales and make our nation a better place in which to live and work.
The Welsh Government and BT are working in partnership on the 'Superfast Cymru' programme to develop a nationwide superfast broadband infrastructure.
Superfast Cymru will boost commercial roll-out and help the Welsh Government achieve its target to deliver high speed fibre broadband to 96% of homes and businesses in Wales by 2016.
Superfast Cymru is set to transform the broadband landscape in Wales and to promote economic growth and sustainable jobs in Wales. We have estimated that up to 2,500 further full times jobs could be created throughout the Welsh economy over time. It will ensure we are at the forefront of the global digital economy and help to champion Wales as a great place to live, work, invest and visit.

About Superfast Britain
Superfast Britain is a UK Government programme of investment in broadband and communication infrastructure across the UK. Run by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, this investment helps businesses to grow, creates jobs and will make Britain more competitive in the global race. The portfolio is comprised of three elements
• £780m to extend superfast broadband to 95% of the UK by 2017
• £150m to provide high speed broadband to businesses in 22 cities
• £150m to improve quality and coverage of mobile phone and basic data network services
Administered on behalf of Government by Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK), Superfast Britain is transforming Britain by promoting growth, enabling skills and learning, and improving quality of life.
For further information: https://www.gov.uk/broadband-delivery-uk