Superfast broadband roll-out in 'fifth slowest county'

Superfast broadband roll-out in 'fifth slowest county'

Superfast broadband services are to be rolled out in the UK county which is currently rated as having the fifth slowest speeds in the country.

Ceredigion was found to have the slowest speeds in Wales in a report by telecoms watchdog Ofcom last year. The Scilly Isles and three Northern Irish counties were the only places rated worse in the report.

The improved services are scheduled to start in Aberystwyth from April, with schools among the first scheduled to benefit from the changes. Homeworkers in rural areas are also expected to see a big difference, the BBC reported.

Ceredigion council leader Ellen ap Gwynn said: "The roll out will also be important for individuals and businesses in this rural county."

The current broadband speeds in just over 20 per cent of homes and business in the county average less than 2Mbit per second, according to the Ofcom report. The study also revealed that access to superfast broadband in Wales is lagging well behind the UK average, at 48 per cent compared to the national average of 73 per cent.

Rural broadband provision is set to remain a hot topic throughout 2014. The roll-out has been beset by delays and the Government has changed its original pledge that nine out of 10 UK homes would have access to superfast broadband by 2015 to a promise that 95 per cent will be included by 2017.

Industry analysts expect that target to be met and say that the UK is doing well in comparison to other European countries. In December, ‘super switch on day’ provided faster broadband services to a further 5,000 homes in rural parts of Cheshire, South East and South West England. The Department of Media, Culture and Sport said that the figure was expected to increase to 200,000 premises in those areas before Christmas last year.

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