Wales to get faster broadband with BT’s fibre deployment

BT Broadband is on the fast track with their fibre deployment. The broadband giant is one of the firms who are working to achieve several goals that the government has set for the UK through the Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) program. Aside from pushing for a level playing field for broadband providers, BDUK seeks to provide universal broadband connections of at least 2Mbps to the whole of Britain. The government also aims to provide at least ninety percent of the UK with next-generation broadband services.

BT has been actively rolling out fibre since early this year. The projected date of completion for the project was 2015, but the firm has announced that fibre deployment will be completed by 2014. Since BT began the deployment, 178 exchanges have already been upgraded.

It has been revealed that the next area to benefit from such roll-outs is Wales. Approximately 175,000 homes and establishments will be able to access superfast broadband, as part of the deployments that have required an investment of over £2.5 billion.

The areas that are covered by the upgrade are Wrexham, Newport, Pontypridd, Prestatyn and parts of Cardiff and Swansea. Institute of Directors Wales expressed that having superfast broadband access was vital.

Robert Lloyd Griffiths, executive director of the Institute of Directors Wales, said: “It gives businesses a competitive edge in today’s crowded marketplace and provides access to new markets with the potential of new jobs in challenging economic times.”

BT’s technology makes use of both Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology and Fibre-to-the-Cabinet technology (FTTC). Ann Beynon, BT director for Wales, stated: “Super-fast broadband will be welcomed by families throughout the area because it will help improve their quality of life and leisure and open new doors through online learning and fast access to information and services.”

She continued: “At a stroke, small and medium sized firms will have access to big business speeds at much lower costs allowing them to find new markets, boost their competitiveness and create new jobs.”

Beynon also added that rural areas are also part of BT’s plans, adding: “We have always said they will require a partnership approach with the public sector providing access to the new technology.”

Source – BBC