People across Anglesey are set to benefit from a digital infrastructure revolution with huge upticks in high-speed mobile and broadband coverage as part of the UK government’s plans to level up across Wales.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has revealed their plans for:
- every electoral region in Wales to receive at least 95% 4G coverage under the £1bn Shared Rural Network (SRN) and
- nearly quarter of a million rural properties to be in scope for gigabit upgrades under the government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit scheme.
Virginia Crosbie, MP for Ynys Môn, has been working with a group led by Bangor University looking at broadband and mobile coverage on Anglesey to bid for improvement funding.
This week homes across Anglesey received a leaflet from Virginia asking for details of their local broadband experiences. The feedback will help the team to map areas of most need on the island.
Virginia said:
“I receive regular complaints from constituents about the poor communications infrastructure on the Anglesey. Substandard broadband and mobile coverage put Anglesey at a disadvantage because individuals cannot access services for personal, family, educational or business needs.
“I encourage everyone on Anglesey to take part in this survey. Your personal experiences can help demonstrate the local problem and increase our chance of getting funding to improve things.”
You can take part in the survey here.
UK Government Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said:
“We are levelling up the digital playing field with huge boosts in connectivity in every part of Wales, no matter how rural or isolated.”
Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said:
“We are delivering on our promise to improve Wales’s digital infrastructure which is so important in achieving prosperity for our communities.
“As we build back better from the pandemic, the UK Government will continue to support growth, jobs and innovation across all parts of Wales and the UK.”
The broadband projects, which will be funded through the UK Government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit, will prioritise areas which currently have slow connections and which would otherwise have been left behind in broadband companies’ rollout plans.
Gigabit broadband enables download speeds of up to 1,000 megabits per second (mbps) – enough to download a HD movie in less than 30 seconds and lay the foundations for next-generation tech such as 8K-quality video streaming.
In a further boost to connectivity in Wales, the Welsh Government has confirmed it can continue to match fund vouchers offered by the UK government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme – meaning rural homes can claim £3,000 and small to medium-sized businesses can claim £7,000 towards the build costs of a gigabit-capable network.
