The Welsh Government has awarded a contract to BT that will transform the broadband landscape of Wales. The project – Superfast Cymru – aims to reach 96% of Welsh homes and businesses, taking broadband speeds of up to 80Mbps deep into rural Wales. Work has already started and the project will run for a further three years.
Superfast Cymru builds on commercial broadband roll-outs in Wales and brings the total investment in Welsh fibre broadband to around £425 million. The project will see around 17,500 kilometres of optical fibre cable being deployed and 3,000 new fibre broadband cabinets being installed the length and breadth of the country.
It is expected that the high speed technology could be worth hundreds of millions of pounds to Wales. A report last year showed that BT spent £217 million with the nation’s suppliers and has been responsible for more than 9,000 Welsh jobs. Opportunities for sub-contract notices will be advertised on Sell2Wales for Welsh businesses to bid for.