Superfast Broadband rolling-out across Pembrokeshire

The roll-out of fast fibre broadband in Pembrokeshire is gathering pace as homes and businesses connected to three more exchanges in the county are now able to access it, thanks to the Superfast Cymru programme.

Green roadside cabinets connected to exchanges in Johnston, Milford Haven, Neyland and Pembroke are now able to provide fast fibre broadband. The first homes and businesses can now access the technology with more premises added as more cabinets become live during the roll-out.

These are in addition to the cabinets served by the Haverfordwest exchange which has been live since April. Roll out will begin in Newport, Boncath, Cresswell, Crymych, Dinas Cross, Llwyndrain and Moylegrove in March 2015, which is in addition to Tenby and Sandersfoot where exchanges will be live before the end of December 2014.

Superfast Cymru, a partnership between the Welsh Government and BT, is an ambitious programme bringing fast fibre broadband to areas not covered by commercialplans , and which otherwise might not receive it. It aims to reach, when combined with commercially funded roll-outs, 96 per cent of properties in Wales by the end of Spring 2016, meaning that fibre based broadband will become available to more people more quickly than in other parts of the UK.

Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology Ken Skates said: “This is great news for Pembrokeshire. The roll-out of fast fibre broadband is really gathering pace here as these three exchanges are now enabled. .Today’s announcement comes on top of the news that Tenby and Saundersfoot exchanges will be providing fast fibre broadband before the end of this year.

“Superfast Cymru is a huge and ambitious programme bringing fast fibre broadband to areas which otherwise would have no access to it. The scale of the programme means that we cannot provide fast fibre to all areas at the same time, but more and more premises are gaining access every day and that includes more and more areas in Pembrokeshire.

“Superfast broadband makes a real difference to businesses and also to households. By the end of the programme Wales will be one of the most connected countries in the world.”
Ann Beynon, BT Director for Wales, said: “ We’re delighted to be investing with Welsh Government in this exciting and ambitious project. Our engineers are working very hard to ensure benefit is delivered to West Wales as soon as possible.

“So much of modern life is now lived online, so having access to superfast speeds will bring enormous social benefits to the people of Pembrokeshire. Equally, high speed connectivity is vital for businesses to compete in a global marketplace. By 2016 Pembrokeshire and Wales will have connectivity the envy of Germany, France, Italy and Spain.”
Maudie Hughes, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Tourism said: “As more and more business is conducted online, fast fibre broadband is increasingly important.

“The roll out in Pembrokeshire currently is creating opportunities for all types of business to do things differently and add new services to their offer. From enabling online booking for accommodation providers, through to making a good level of WiFi available to visitors, the impact for the leisure, hospitality and tourism industry is great.

“I would encourage as many businesses as possible to get on board with fast fibre broadband as soon as it becomes available - keep an eye out for the labels on cabinets showing that the service is live, then a quick call to your provider to access it is all it takes.”

There will be events later this year and next year in the county to promote the benefits of fast fibre to businesses. This includes a Fibre for Breakfast event held in the Bridge Innovation Centre on 30 September and in the Begelly Arms on 3 March.

Households and businesses are not connected to fast fibre broadband automatically. Customers who want superfast speeds need to contact an internet service provider (ISP) to sign up to receive the technology.There are several ISPs offering fibre broadband in Wales so customers can shop around and choose the package that is best for them. If they choose not to upgrade to fibre broadband, they will be able to continue using their existing broadband service.

For full details of the benefits of fast fibre broadband, how to register for updates on when it’s coming to an area and how to access it visit the Superfast Cymru website: www.superfast-cymru.com

Notes

For information about which exchange areas are already enabled go to the coverage map on http://www.superfast-cymru.com/where-and-when

Enquiries about this news release should be made to Anne Jones in the Welsh Government press office on 0300 062 5478
or the BT Wales Press Office on 0800 085 0660. All BT news releases can be accessed at: http://www.btplc.com/News.

The latest images of the Superfast Cymru roll-out are available for download at: http://imagelibrary.btplc.com/assetbank-btplc/action/browseItems?categoryId=597&categoryTypeId=1

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 BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in more than 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of five lines of business: BT Global Services, BT Business, BT Consumer, BT Wholesale and Openreach.
For the year ended 31 March 2014, BT Group’s reported revenue was £18,287m with reported profit before taxation of £2,312m.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.
For more information, visit www.btplc.com.

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