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• Wales experiences rapid increase in access to superfast broadband - from 29.4% of homes and businesses in 2010 to 94.2% by December 2017.
• The Government鈥檚 ongoing rollout is still reaching thousands more homes and businesses every week
• Superfast speeds have already delivered an 拢8.9 billion sales boost to local economies

Wales has seen a rapid increase in the number of homes and businesses with access to superfast broadband, from 29.4% in 2010, to 94.2% by December last year. It follows the UK Government鈥檚 manifesto commitment to extend superfast broadband to 95% of the UK by the end of 2017.

Figures published by have confirmed that more than 19 out of 20 UK homes and businesses now have the opportunity to upgrade their internet connections to superfast speeds of 24 Mbps or faster - more than double what Ofcom advise is required by a typical family home.

The 拢1.7 billion Government rollout of superfast broadband to areas deemed 鈥渘ot commercially viable鈥� by industry has so far reached more than 4.5 million UK premises that would otherwise have been left in the connectivity slow lane, the majority of which are in rural areas. In addition to the huge benefits to our day-to-day lives that superfast speeds offer, this closing of the 鈥渄igital divide鈥� has also delivered a significant boost to local economies - creating around 50,000 new local jobs and generating an additional 拢8.9 billion in turnover in the areas covered by the Government rollout between 2013 and 2016.

Minister for the UK Government in Wales Stuart Andrew said:

Providing access to reliable, high speed broadband is probably the single most important thing we can do to ensure the sustainability of our rural communities and businesses and as such it is fantastic to hear that Wales has reached 94% for superfast broadband coverage.

Wales had a much bigger gap to close than England and so it鈥檚 really positive news that they鈥檝e made such giant steps in closing the digital divide, particularly given the very challenging topography in Wales.

We know there is more to be done, but today鈥檚 announcement marks another significant leap forward in the UK Government鈥檚 efforts to ensure Wales has a broadband network fit for the digital age.

DCMS Secretary of State, Matt Hancock said:

Over the last 5 years, the Government鈥檚 rollout of superfast broadband has made superfast speeds a reality for more than 4.5 million homes and businesses who would otherwise have missed out. But there鈥檚 still more to do in our work building a Britain that鈥檚 fit for the future. We鈥檙e reaching thousands more premises every single week, and have committed to making affordable, reliable, high speed broadband a legal right to everyone by 2020.

December was a particularly busy month for Openreach who, as the Government鈥檚 major partner on this massive infrastructure project, have been working hard throughout the winter months to ensure the rollout remained on track. In total, around 800,000 homes and businesses were reached last year through the UK Government BDUK programme alongside commercial delivery, with Openreach delivering the major proportion of this achievement; and as a result of this deployment, the 95% target was achieved in December 2017.

Clive Selley, CEO, Openreach, said:

This is without doubt an extraordinary achievement and I鈥檇 like to thank the thousands of Openreach engineers and the many more of our people supporting them, who have worked so tirelessly to make this happen.

We have come a long way in a short space of time, with one of the fastest broadband deployments in the world. This is an important milestone 鈥� but we鈥檙e not stopping here. We鈥檙e determined to get Britain 鈥� the whole of Britain 鈥� hooked up to decent broadband speeds. The Government鈥檚 Universal Service Obligation will make high speed broadband a legal right and we鈥檒l be working with industry, Government and Ofcom to deliver this. In the meantime, we鈥檒l be continuing to expand our network to address the remaining not-spots through a combination of our own commercial programmes and our partnerships with local authorities and communities.

A clause in the Government鈥檚 contracts requires suppliers to recycle funding when people take up superfast connections installed as part of the programme. Over 2.25 million homes and businesses have taken up superfast broadband in areas covered by BDUK projects. To date, BT has set aside 拢477 million to extend coverage over the full lifetime of the contracts 鈥� up from 拢292 million in December 2016 鈥� in nations and regions around the UK.

Combined with project efficiencies of at least 拢210 million resulting from the successful management and delivery of the programme, there will be up to 拢687 million available for local authorities to re-invest and take superfast speeds to those homes and businesses not already covered by existing plans.

Together with other planned delivery, this will help take superfast coverage to the majority of the remaining premises over the next few years. In addition to this, the Universal Service Obligation the Government is bringing in will give everyone the legal right to high speed broadband (10Mbps or faster) by 2020, meaning that no-one is left behind, and that all UK homes and businesses have the connectivity they need in the digital age.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

1. The latest broadband coverage figures are at