A £55 million project to help provide state-of-the-art digital connectivity across the Swansea Bay City Region is starting to make strides, leaders were told. It is one of nine city deal projects for the area - and was described as a "golden thread" running through them all at a meeting of the Swansea Bay City Region joint committee.
The digital infrastructure programme, as the project is known, has three key objectives: widespread coverage of fibre broadband in urban and growth areas, expanding connectivity in poorly-served rural areas, and deploying as much 5G wireless technology as possible.
Although this may sound technical, the premise is that good digital connectivity helps a region gain a competitive advantage, stimulating innovation and driving economic growth. And the Swansea Bay City Region, according to a report before the joint committee, has suffered from a lack of commercial investment in this regard. The region covers Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot and Pembrokeshire.
READ MORE: Cocaine dealer broke both legs jumping from roof as he fled police
Gareth Jones, the project's manager, said it was about future-proofing the region's connectivity for the next 25 to 30 years at least. He added: "Our project, in all honesty, is not enough to achieve that on its own. We have to work with the UG Government, Welsh Government, our local authorities, the wider public sector and, of course, most importantly the private sector and industry."
Mr Jones said poor digital coverage in rural areas was becoming more prominent as fibre broadband builders penetrated more urban areas. But he said there were now six fibre builders in the region - three specialising in rural areas - compared to just two a couple of years ago.
Cllr Steve Hunt, the leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, said he was one of those poorly-served customers, and that some people and businesses in the county's five valleys struggled with this issue. He asked for assurances that Mr Jones and his colleagues continued to lobby central Government for better provision.
One element of the project will result in a £12 million-plus investment in ultrafast digital infrastructure for public sector buildings in the region.
Mr Jones said this would create the basis of a "fibre spine" in the region. He added: "Probably, more importantly, it will stimulate significant private sector investment in additional fibre build."
He said he and his colleagues were mapping out which public sector buildings would benefit from this £12 million expenditure.
All four participating councils will recruit two members of staff to help push forward the project, liaising with businesses and the public. This will include providing the latest guidance and advice from Public Health England about 5G - the next iteration of the wireless network.
"There is a lot of misinformation and information out there," said Cllr Rob Stewart, the leader of Swansea Council.
The project seeks to establish 5G networks, which could lead to new and better business applications.
Mr Jones said: "The excitement behind 5G is not about mobile phones. It's about ultrafast wireless offshore connectivity for your wind farms. It's about private ultrafast connectivity on a dairy farm. It's the network which will control autonomous vehicles in the future."
Cllr Stewart said: "The digital programme is a golden thread which runs through and helps us deliver even more on our other projects."
READ NEXT:
Thousands bid farewell to Phil Bennett amid emotional scenes in Llanelli
Cocaine dealer broke both legs jumping from roof as he fled police
Nine-year-old boy died after telling friends he wanted to be with his late father
The councillor who came back from the dead and those who saved him
Seek out jobs where you live:
