COUNTY COUNCIL Cabinet Member for Economy, Paul Miller, has pledged to improve Pembrokeshire’s  digital connectivity so that it becomes the best in Wales.

And he’s willing to commit Council money in order to achieve the ambition.

Councillor Miller said he agreed with the recent statement by the new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, that every household in the UK should have access to a full fibre broadband connection by 2025.

“Sitting on the very western tip of Wales it is obvious to anyone that we’re never going to be the best connected county in terms of road or rail – that we accept”, said Councillor Miller.

“We could, however, be the best digitally connected place in Wales, maybe even the UK. That’s our ambition.”

Councillor Miller said the issue was the scale of the challenge facing those trying to provide it.

He went on: “When I arrived behind the economic development desk in Pembrokeshire I quickly realised that there weren’t many things I could do, that would have as big an impact on the Pembrokeshire economy as dramatically improving our digital connectivity. I also realized that it was just too important to rely on someone else doing it for us.

“In Pembrokeshire right now 88 per cent of households and businesses have access to 30 Megabits per second (Mbps) – the EU’s definition of Superfast. That not terrible, actually, by UK standards but fewer than 6 per cent of premises have access to Ultrafast (100 Mbps) and 2.5 per cent of our households are still stuck with less than 2 Mbps.

“The story in a nutshell? If you are in a town or big village, broadband speeds are, for the most part, bearable but perhaps not for long. Just outside those areas and you are probably pulling your hair out.

“The economics of rural broadband mean that without intervention, providers aren’t going be doing much to improve that position anytime soon.

“Our challenge is how we intervene in a way that actually starts to fix the problem and in Pembrokeshire we have come up with a plan that we are convinced can make a difference.

“Step one: we’re going to intervene where we can easily do so.

“We’ve applied for funding under the Department for Culture Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Local Full Fibre Networks Programme (LFFN). We know the outcome of that application, but I cannot yet say. Let us assume though that we will be successful.

“That funding enables us, by 2021, to connect up a large number of public sector buildings – GP surgeries, libraries, leisure centres to full fibre broadband. It creates a great base from which suppliers will make full fibre connections available to the homes and businesses nearby.

“Step two: we have divided the county into eighty, loosely defined, project areas that cover the whole of Pembrokeshire We’ve invited providers to give us an indicative price to connect every property in those areas to full fibre.

“We’ve had some big numbers back, but, based on what we’ve seen so far, we believe it can be done.
“Step three: we’ve employed a team, funded by the Council, specifically to work with communities in those zones to draw down as many funding vouchers as possible.

“Vouchers are a UK and Welsh Government initiative that provides funding of up to £1,500 per household and £5,500 per business to support the build of fibre infrastructure.

”Step four: Cabinet will soon be considering a proposal to create a £2 million pot of Council funding to top-up the voucher money where it isn’t enough to complete a zone.

“£2 million will not be enough, but it’s a start. If the Prime Minister really wants to deliver by 2025, we will be looking to him for more. On top of that direct intervention, I am determined that we do everything in our power as a local authority to ‘get out of the way’ as we seek to have fibre provided across the County.

“Our property team have been tasked with ensuring we never refuse permission to broadband providers to use our land.

“Our highways team are exploring innovative ways of using the highways and footpaths criss-crossing Pembrokeshire to bring fibre cables to people’s front doors and our planning team are working out how we best ensure that all new development in Pembrokeshire incorporates a direct fibre connection.

“This is a big undertaking. It is going to require commitment from all levels of government but it can be done.

“I am making a start on getting the message out there – we are absolutely determined to deliver a step-change in digital connectivity in Pembrokeshire.

“I want our residents to know we are on the case. I want government to know that we are ready to get stuck in. I want business in Pembrokeshire to know that we are determined to get them better connected.

“And perhaps most importantly, I want businesses all over the UK to know, that there’s a dynamic, forward-thinking county on the tip of West Wales that’s getting itself connected and which is open for business.”