- £10m project to connect rural areas
- 1,789 sites to receive full-fibre broadband
What happened: BT to deliver full-fibre broadband in Swansea Bay
BT has secured a £9.8 million contract to provide full-fibre broadband to nearly 1,800 hard-to-reach sites in the Swansea Bay City Region. The project, part of the Better Broadband Infill Project under the Swansea Bay City Deal’s Digital Infrastructure Programme, will be executed in partnership with Openreach.
BT will contribute additional funding, bringing the total investment to over £10 million. The initiative targets 1,533 premises and 256 additional sites across Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, and Carmarthenshire, focusing on areas with broadband speeds below 30Mbps and not covered by other expansion plans. Work is set to commence this month and will proceed in six phases, aiming for completion by 31 March 2027.
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Why it’s important
This project aims to close the digital gap in rural Wales by bringing fast internet to areas with limited access. It focuses on homes and businesses that currently get less than 30Mbps. By doing so, it boosts digital access and supports both local economies and communities.
The joint effort by BT and Openreach shows a clear push to improve regional infrastructure. It also aligns with the goals of the Swansea Bay City Deal. The work will roll out in phases. In the first phase, 220 premises should get connected by December 2025.
