Welsh economic development minister Andrew Davies believes that
Wales' ambitious broadband strategy will place the country at the
forefront of the UK's broadband race.
Launched last week, the 10-year strategy, entitled Broadband Wales,
is expected to bring broadband services to 310,000 more homes and
67,000 businesses by 2007.
He explained, "This £100m plan is the biggest public sector
investment of its kind in the UK, and it will push Wales ahead of
the rest in public broadband access."
Welsh Assembly officials believe that the plan, which is jointly
financed by the assembly, the Welsh Development Agency and European
Objective One funding, will place the cost of broadband services in
Wales on a par with London.
From September there will be a try-before-you-buy scheme for
businesses, and a subsidised satellite broadband service for small
and medium-sized enterprises.
Davies said, "From a business point of view we think that this will
help to make them more effective and efficient in terms of both
internal and external communications, and trading electronically."
Davies also believes that the unique nature of the Welsh
government, founded in 1999, enables a greater degree of IT
innovation than its counterpart in London.