Rural Development Sub-Committee

Inquiry into Poverty and Deprivation in Rural Wales

Response from the The Mid Wales Partnership

28^th February 2008

Mr Brynle Williams, AM
Poverty & Deprivation in Rural Wales Sub Committee
National Assembly for Wales
Cardiff Bay
Caardiff
CF99 1NA

Dear Mr Williams

At the recent meeting of The Mid Wales Partnership’s Information, Communications and Technology Advisory Group concern was expressed that there continues to be no progress being made with access and inclusion issues in rural areas relating to telecommunications. A recent example is the consultation on the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivations proposed indicators (Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivations (WIMD) 2008). Many responses to this consultation suggested broadband connectivity as a relevant indicator for Access to Services.

The response provided below by WAG is a clear example of the lack of understanding and information relating to Broadband provision in rural areas.

WAG Consultation Response:

Access to Services

Other indicators

Many consultation responses suggested access to broadband enabled exchanges as a particular Indicator for inclusion. We previously considered this and with further analysis consider this not to be a suitable. The evidence available covering all of Wales, suggests that well over 90% of households in Wales have access to a broadband enabled exchange, with this increasing all the time. One respondent suggested that in a few cases it may be somewhat lower than this. This would still mean that the vast majority of LSOAs would have virtually blanket access to broadband, thus not providing a relative measure. With the broadband coverage increasing all the time it is likely that this would only be an issue for a few areas on this occasion, with any future Index updates having even fewer, if any, broadband deprived areas. As with all indicators we look for some stability in the indicators that are included. For these reasons we are not going to include this as an indicator.

Many rural areas are unable to obtain broadband and there is no planned strategy to deliver broadband and high speeds, which would assist in the economic, social and environmental regeneration of these areas.

The Mid Wales Partnership is not clear as to the evidence available to show where premises are unable to obtain broadband or where the service is of low speed. There needs to be an evidence gathering process so that all are informed as to exactly where the problems are. This also applies to the large areas with poor mobile phone coverage (2G) across Wales. The coverage of 3G services is woefully inadequate.

The Mid Wales Partnership produced the enclosed booklet entitled "Pushed to the Periphery” [Please click here for English version (pdf 405 KB) or here for Welsh version (493 KB)] and in March 2007 and feels that little progress has been made since that time. Rural areas of Wales are already disadvantaged in many ways but without ICT infrastructure and, particularly, the availability of broadband, they will become even more disadvantaged which will lead to greater deprivation. Work is currently underway in some of the local authority areas within Mid Wales to establish more detailed information about the lack of availability of broadband and mobile telephone coverage; this will then be GIS mapped which it is hoped will give a much more detailed picture of the reality of the situation and I will be happy to arrange for this information to be forwarded to you when it is available.

There is a clear need for some sort of public sector intervention and support to provide high speed affordable ubiquitous broadband in rural Wales. This may not mean direct public subsidy but more innovative schemes by the public sector in partnership, supported by the Welsh Assembly. Such schemes have been successful, in other parts of the world.

The Mid Wales Partnership would welcome the opportunity of discussing these issues.

Yours sincerely

Cllr Dewi Lewis, Chair, ICT Advisory Group
Mr Mark Elliott, Lead Officer, ICT Advisory Group
Dr Jill Venus, Co-ordinator, Mid Wales Partnership
Ladywell House
Newtown
Powys, SY16 1JB

Secretary/Ysgrifennydd: Dr Jill Venus
Ffôn/Tel: 01686 613177/83
Ffacs/Fax: 01686 613190
Mob: 077986 37814
e-bost/e-mail: mwp@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Copy sent to Mr Alun Davies, AM; Mr Mick Bates, AM; Mr Alun Ffred Jones, AM