Broadband - Wales (again)

http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2009/04/24/broadband-essential-for-wales/

April 24, 2009

Broadband essential for Wales

by David Allen 

 For most broadband users the ability to shop, bank and even watch on-demand television has become a way of life, no matter what the connection speed.

Yet in Wales there are rural areas where broadband is not available at all.

The communications minister, Lord Carter’s, Digital Britain plan calls for the entire UK to have 2 Mbps broadband by 2012, which means that at least there is the prospect of getting broadband in the future.

However, Lord Carter has now conceded that not all of Britain will be getting the minimum standard 2 Mbps broadband by 2012, and this includes rural Wales.

In fact, Lord Carter has said that there could be around thirty per cent of the country where super fast broadband is not practical.

So going on those figures, if Virgin Media and BT have fifty per cent of the UK connected to fibre, thirty per cent cannot have fibre and that leaves just twenty per cent of the country to be connected by 2012.