Openreach has achieved a significant milestone in Wales by connecting more than 700,000 homes and businesses to high-speed broadband through a £210 million investment. This initiative has made some of the fastest and most reliable broadband services in Europe available to Welsh communities.
Engineers are now embarking on the next phase of the project, extending the full fibre network to even more homes and businesses in areas such as Criccieth, Pencoed, Llangennech, and Porthmadog.
Over the past 12 months, this effort has allowed more than 200,000 Welsh properties to gain access to ultrafast broadband, underscoring Openreach’s dedication to bridging the digital divide and ensuring that communities across Wales have access to cutting-edge internet infrastructure.
Full fibre broadband offers speeds up to 16 times faster than the UK average broadband connection and is approximately five times more reliable than the old copper-based network it replaces.
Welcoming this investment, Welsh Government Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, praised Openreach’s achievement in connecting 700,000 homes and businesses to fast and reliable broadband. He highlighted the importance of broadband as a key utility and reaffirmed the Welsh Government’s commitment to supporting efforts that enhance connectivity across Wales.
The deployment of full fibre broadband represents a transformative upgrade to the existing network infrastructure, offering lightning-fast internet speeds and unparalleled reliability. Openreach’s commitment to future-proofing Wales’ digital landscape is expected to boost the digital economy, enabling businesses to compete globally and individuals to fully benefit from digital services.
Martin Williams, Partnership Director for Openreach in Wales, expressed pride in the achievement of connecting 700,000 properties in Wales to full fibre broadband. He emphasized Openreach’s unwavering commitment to building a digitally inclusive nation, with the network expansion reaching nearly 4,000 properties every week over the past year – equivalent to connecting a town the size of Haverfordwest or St Asaph on a weekly basis.
