Seven out of ten slowest areas in the UK for broadband is in Wales, according to a new report which urges the Welsh Government to act.
Figures from the House of Commons Library show that 7 out of 10 of the council wards from across the UK with the slowest download speeds are in Wales.
As the UK Government prepares to invest in cutting-edge 5G infrastructure, the farming industry has called on the Welsh Government to stop the “superfast” broadband rip off and ensure that people in all parts of Wales have adequate access to the internet.
It follows news that lack of broadband and connectivity in rural areas is the main reason why young people leave and never come back.
Indeed, an analysis of over 63m broadband speed tests worldwide has revealed that the UK sits in 31st place, with an average speed of 16.51Mbps.
Plaid Cymru Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs Simon Thomas said that it was now time for the Welsh Government to upgrade to 4G so that people in Wales can get some access to faster speed internet.
Mr Thomas said that the Welsh Government’s superfast broadband scheme with BT had failed to provide Wales’ rural communities with adequate broadband connection.
The Welsh Government have now pledged an additional £80m to deliver adequate connectivity across Wales, which, Mr Thomas said, is an admission of failure of the previous super-fast broadband scheme which has created a "digital divide" across Wales.
Mr Thomas said: “Seven out of the UK’s ten worst areas for internet speeds are in Wales; that’s a damning reflection of the Labour government’s effectiveness in rolling out superfast internet. Poor broadband connection is a blight on rural communities and right across Wales, people struggle to get even a basic level of internet connection.
“The Welsh Government’s superfast broadband scheme with BT promised to connect 96% of the population to fast internet of at least 10 megabytes per second, but I’ve had people contact me from relatively urban areas with as little as 0.2 megabytes. This is superfast rip off.
“The UK Government has begun planning ahead of 5G technology, whilst the Welsh Government is still grappling with 4G. I want to see the Welsh Government upgrade its 4G infrastructure to give people dependable access to the internet wherever in Wales they are.”
The roll-out of superfast broadband and emerging technologies is one of the NFU's pleas to Chancellor Philip Hammond ahead of Wednesday's Autumn Budget.
