Plaid Cymru’s Elin Jones AM has called for the public investment to improve broadband access and speeds in Wales to be directed first of all towards the existing not-spots.


Last July, it was confirmed that BT had been awarded a contract to to provide superfast broadband to those parts of Wales where commercial funding alone was not likely to reach in the next three years.


The total investment of £425m includes £58m from the Welsh Government and £90m from the European Regional Development Fund. £57m has also been provided by the UK Treasury towards the scheme.
After raising the matter with the First Minister at the Senedd this week, Ceredigion AM Elin Jones said:
“I’ve long campaigned for a better broadband service in Ceredigion, and I welcome the Welsh Government’s aim of ensuring that every household and business can receive next generation broadband connections by the end of 2015.
“However, it’s essential that, as part of the contact awarded to BT, those areas which are currently struggling to get a reliable broadband connection at present are the first to benefit from this substantial public investment.
“I therefore hope that the Welsh Government will instruct BT to prioritise those not-spot areas as the improvement work is undertaken over the coming years. I know of many areas – both rural and urban – which are unable to get broadband at present, and it’s essential that their problems are addressed before speed improvements are introduced in other areas”.
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