Plaid Cymru pledges "superfast broadband" to all homes by 2017

The Plaid Cymru party has pledged superfast broadband by 2017 if they win the elections and gain power at the assembly, the party has stated.

All homes would get access to this superfast broadband and would build on the original Superfast Cymru scheme, which aims to deliver fast internet to 96 per cent of Welsh homes and businesses by 2016.
In the pledge, Plaid Cymru also stated they would set out plans to roll out ultrafast broadband by 2025 and to have it across the whole of Wales and councils would be given money to those regions where superfast internet could not be reached.

Superfast broadband means services that can provide speeds of between 50Mb and 80Mb while ultrafast broadband provides speeds of between 80Mb to more than 100Mb.

Plaid Cymru's Llyr Gruffydd said: “Superfast Cymru has made an incredible difference to enhance superfast coverage in Wales, but we cannot rest on our laurels - we must act to ensure that not a single home, business or community in Wales is left behind."

However opposition parties have questioned the pledge and in particular the costs with the Conservatives questioning the costs and the timing of the statement, stating: “Along comes an election and up pop Plaid Cymru with a thousand new un-costed pledges.”

Other parties were quick to highlight their broadband connection speed election promises, with the Lib Dems stating that they too would ensure that Welsh businesses and every “hospital and school would have access to superfast broadband” by no later than 2017. The Welsh Labour party has defended what the Superfast Cymru programme has done and in particular highlighted the fact that “fibre optic connections are now available in all local authority areas” thanks to the scheme.

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(Image: Kings Sutton)