50% Completion of Regional Full Fibre Infrastructure Build

The Swansea Bay City Deal’s Digital Infrastructure Programme, with support from the Local Broadband Fund has successfully completed 50% of its Full Fibre Infrastructure Build project. This significant milestone marks a major step forward in enhancing digital connectivity to public sector sites across the region, with substantial financial and social benefits for surrounding communities.

The full fibre build, delivered by BT via the Welsh Government funded Public Sector Broadband Aggregation (PSBA), aims to provide improved broadband provision to public sector sites across the region. The PSBA connects public sector organisations to a private, secure Wide Area Network, offering a fully managed service that enhances business-critical connectivity, and allows public sector organisations to benefit from innovative, cost-effective and resilient network services that drive productivity. Beneficiaries of the project include all four local authorities across the Swansea Bay City Region, Hywel Dda and Swansea Bay University Health Boards.  

The aim of the project is to drive full fibre broadband to 69 publicly owned sites in need of improved infrastructure. This initiative provides fast, reliable, future-proofed connectivity to meet increasing digital demands and support the wider digital transformation agendas of the public sector.  The project promises more efficient services and better user experiences for residents and businesses, cost savings for partners, and the potential for innovative digital applications such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) experiences in key tourist locations like Pembrey Country Park and Margam Country Park.

Simon Davies, Head of Economic Development and Property at Carmarthenshire County Council said, “Reaching this 50% milestone is a fantastic achievement and one that will greatly improve the services of these public sector sites.

“Upgrading these locations to having gigabit-capable digital infrastructure is essential for their future prosperity. Our regional public sector partners need to move forwards with their use of digital technology to ensure that the best experiences can be offered and this project is a valuable part of achieving that.”

Additionally, approximately 425 residential and business premises will benefit from improved broadband as a result, and the project is expected to stimulate further commercial investment, accelerating the rollout of full fibre networks across the region  This £2m  joint investment, £1.05m of which has been secured by the Digital Infrastructure Programme from the Welsh Government’s Local Broadband Fund  will provide crucial infrastructure upgrades that will enhance the quality of life for residents and businesses, attract new investment, and stimulate economic growth.

Sites completed in this phase include strategic locations that are vital to public service delivery. These sites have been prioritised to maximise the impact on the community and ensure the most efficient use of resources.

Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council and Chair of the Swansea Bay City Deal Joint Committee said, “Keeping up with the increasing demand for digital services across the public sector is critical in ensuring the best possible experiences for our residents and businesses, and in order to do this, we must invest in the infrastructure required to ensure our services are futureproofed for the next 20 years. Achieving the 50% mark is a key milestone for this project and has allowed several sites to already reap the benefits of full fibre. We look forward to continuing to work closely with BT and the PSBA on the full completion of this project in supporting the transformation of public service delivery”.