Rural communities ‘bottom of the pile’ – Llyr Gruffydd AM
Plaid Cymru has challenged the Labour Government to explain delays in its roll-out of faster broadband in rural communities.
In a written question to the First Minister Carwyn Jones this afternoon, Plaid Cymru’s North Wales AM Llyr Gruffydd has asked whether the Labour Government believes it is acceptable that rural communities were bottom of the pile when it comes to superfast broadband roll-out.
Mr Gruffydd made his remarks after a Welsh Government official confirmed that the introduction of superfast broadband in the Llandegla exchange between Wrexham and Ruthin had been put back because “resources are needed to focus on higher yielding numbers of premises”.
Mr Gruffydd said: “BT has a contract to deliver superfast broadband with the Welsh Government and, in order to meet those contractual targets, it appears it is abandoning commitments to connect rural communities for more densely populated urban areas. Are rural areas less deserving of broadband than urban communities? It seems the Labour Government thinks they are.
“I would urge the First Minister to ensure that rural and urban communities are treated as equal priorities or we will see a growing digital divide in Wales. I fear Llandegla is just the tip of an iceberg with a planned roll-out being delayed in favour of more populated areas. Rural communities need a guarantees that they won’t be left behind and make economic development a reality for those areas.”