Broadband internet access to be given to not-spots in Wales

After the welcome intervention by the Welsh Assembly six locations in Wales that were considered to be not-spots or places where high-speed broadband internet access was unavailable to businesses and homes have now been told they will be able to get online.

Legal action had been threatened by local residents against BT due to the lack of Broadband access on Gwytherin, Conway. It has, however, now been confirmed by the Welsh assembly that broadband internet services will now be provided to Gwytherin, as well as Saundersfoot, Cilcennin, Llanpumsaint, Reynoldston and Bronwydd Arms.

The preparatory work to broadband-enable the lines that serve the communities will begin immediately said the Assembly, and BT’s access network division, Openreach would be part funding the project to upgrade the lines. All this will mean that for the first time broadband internet access will be available to over 1000 residents and businesses in these areas.

The current main priority for the government is for high-speed internet services to be deployed throughout the UK. The communications regulator, Ofcom recently said that more reliable and quicker internet access would be of benefit to the whole country and urged both internet service providers and the government to work together to finance the deployment of next-generation broadband services throughout the UK.

To be able to handling the continuously evolving browsing habits of users, like the increase in the use of streaming media such as BBC iPlayer, a switch to high-speed fibre optic cabling would allow for an increase in the capacity of the network and would allow for higher speed broadband connections. This would involved many roads being dug up to lay the cabling and would cost an estimated £15 billion to complete.

The current speeds of broadband internet access in the UK are just short of the performance levels required to provide users with a good online user experience, and there could be significant disadvantages if the existing network is not upgraded, according to research provided by the University of Oxford.