Brecon and Radnorshire Member of Parliament, Fay Jones has welcomed the news that 1,900 homes across Brecon and Radnorshire are due to be connected to fibre broadband over the coming 18 months.
Ms Jones learned about the development during her latest meeting with infrastructure provider Openreach. The location of the homes has not yet been released but Openreach confirmed they are in scope following a joint UK Government/Welsh Government scheme.
Since her election in 2019, Ms Jones has made campaigning for improved connectivity across the constituency one of her top priorities. Ms Jones regularly raises the issue in Parliament and has been helping constituents navigate the system to access better broadband.
Since the United Kingdom left the European Union, Ms Jones is also pursuing the idea of using funding which previously went to the European Union to improve broadband and mobile connectivity across mid-Wales.
Commenting on the news, Ms Jones said:
“This is great news to start 2021 with. Poor connectivity is one of the biggest problems in Brecon and Radnor, particularly as so many more people are now working and studying from home.
“Connecting 1,900 homes is an excellent start but we need to keep up the effort to make sure that every home in Brecon and Radnorshire is covered. Broadband is key to economic growth and more jobs in the area – enabling more of our young people to stay and build their lives here.”
“Now that we have left the European Union, there is an opportunity to use funding streams differently and I am working with the UK Government to see if the Shared Prosperity Fund can be utilised to ensure that we have the high speeds we need.”
