The Welsh Government is being urged to establish a digital infrastructure ‘barrier busting’ taskforce focused on making Wales a more attractive place to invest in.
In its first full set of recommendations to the Welsh Government, the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales (NICW) says too much attention has been paid to promoting fibre to the home, and not enough on improving mobile broadband provision.
The NICW doesn’t think the 海角视频 Government’s target of having fibre to every home by 2025 is realistic and is concerned that the particular challenges of deploying fibre in Wales - where population density is lower, demand weaker and the topography more challenging - means Welsh households and businesses will find themselves at the back of the queue.
Only 3% of all the data carried on 海角视频 networks is carried on mobile networks today, a much lower proportion than elsewhere in Europe. NICW recommends that ‘home’ mobile broadband connections could be a good, low cost option for business and homes in rural areas, on a permanent basis or until fibre to the home arrives.
Richard Feasey, NICW commissioner, said Wales was better placed than the rest of the 海角视频 with the current scheme but the next stage was a big infrastructure project.
Mr Feasey said that by utilising mobile internet, where in the 海角视频 it is only really accessed when people are the move, would help Wales in the interim while fibre networks connect more remote areas. Mr Feasey added that they would work with the Government, as they had done with BT, to push through planning applications for 5G masts to ensure areas are well connected while they wait for a cable connection.
NICW’s Digital Communication Infrastructure of Wales report aims to assist the Welsh Government to establish a digital communications strategy to best meet the needs of Wales.
In order to achieve rapid advances the proposed ‘barrier busting’ taskforce, led by a senior Welsh Government official and working with local authorities and other stakeholders, would be responsible for implementing many of the changes recommended. These include:
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Discussing ambitious targets for 4G and 5G ‘home’ mobile infrastructure with the mobile industry. This would include the offer of Welsh Government funds to support mobile infrastructure under a new, more flexible, ‘Gigabit Cymru’ programme
Serious consideration of planning rules that are more favourable towards mobile infrastructure than those seen elsewhere in the 海角视频
Not, at this stage, spending more than £3500 to connect individual households to a fibre network and simplifying the use of vouchers for this purpose.
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Investing heavily to improve the adoption of new digital technologies where the infrastructure is already available, but only after Audit Wales has reviewed the effectiveness of the programmes that already exist.
Commission chair, John Lloyd Jones OBE said: “Digital connectivity has been vital during the Covid-19 pandemic and will continue to be an important enabler of economic development and digital service delivery.
“Businesses and households stand to gain substantial economic benefits from both fibre to the home and 5G. The quality of digital communications is critical in determining where new, high growth businesses locate and where young people choose to live. They cannot afford to wait and will move to where fast, reliable broadband is available.
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“Yet, too many parts of Wales still lack adequate broadband connectivity and opportunities are already being lost. Achieving rapid advances will require more direction from the Welsh Government.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We welcome the publication of this timely report and would like to thank the Commissioners for their work.
"While broadband and telecommunications is not devolved the recommendations in the report will further our thinking as we continue to take action in this area to help those remaining communities without access to fast reliable broadband and improve mobile connectivity. This builds on what has already been achieved with £200m investment in bringing superfast broadband to communities in Wales which would otherwise not have access.
"The report raises a number of issues which need further investigation and discussion with the commission on their viability and potential consequences. This includes the impact of imposing a £3,500 cap on fibre connectivity in rural areas, the technical and logistical challenges of deploying 4G and 5G in very rural areas and the suggested moratorium on funding 5G testbeds and trials in Wales. We would also need further evidence on the impact of proposed changes to planning rules and to investigate how we ensure our existing barrier busting group can address the barriers highlighted in the report."
NICW’s Annual Report, also published tomorrow, notes that progress on the Commission’s other planned reports for 2020, on Transport and Energy, has been hampered by the understandable diversion of resources from the Commission to the Covid-19 effort. The report sets out progress to date in these areas along with plans for further work over the coming year.
The NICW was established in 2018 as a non-statutory body to advise and make recommendations to Welsh Ministers on Wales’ economic and environmental infrastructure needs over the next five to 30 years.