Swansea Bay City Deal has awarded a £9.8 million contract for full fibre broadband access to BT under its Digital Infrastructure Programme.
BT said it will deliver connectivity to 1,533 premises and an additional 256 sites across the four counties in the region – Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire – in partnership with infrastructure supplier Openreach.
It will also provide additional funding to take the value over £10 million.
The project has been designed to support levelling up in key areas where a connectivity gap exists. The homes and businesses included are predominantly in harder to reach, rural areas where the cost to provide faster broadband services is considerably higher.
It specifically targets premises that currently have broadband speeds of less than 30Mbps and are not in scope for any other government funded fibre expansion projects or part of commercial build plans.
Game changer
Cllr. Rob Stewart, leader of Swansea Council and chair of the Swansea Bay City Deal Joint Committee, said: “This project is a game changer for our region. By bringing high speed internet to areas that have been left behind, we are not only improving quality of life but also opening up new opportunities for economic and social development.
“Access to reliable broadband is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity. This project will ensure that everyone in the Swansea Bay region can participate fully in the digital age.”
Susi Marston, head of public sector Wales at BT, said: “The Better Broadband Infill Project will improve services for thousands of people across the Swansea Bay City Region, who will benefit from state-of-the-art connectivity even in hard-to-reach areas.”
The project is set to start this month and will continue its delivery across the region over six phases, with the first 220 premises connected by December this year and a completion date of 31 March 2027.
