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<p>At present, 96.7% of premises in Wales can access a superfast (>=30Mbps) broadband
connection, with 57.4% able to access a gigabit-capable connection.</p><p>As part
of the UK Government’s £5 billion Project Gigabit, a Public Review was conducted last
year to establish broadband suppliers build plans across Wales, and the results were
published in November. We are working closely with the Welsh Government and plan to
launch procurements in Wales in the coming months.</p><p>In addition to our procurements,
nearly 2,800 vouchers have been issued under the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme
to help communities in rural and hard-to-reach areas of Wales.</p><p>In December 2022,
DCMS also launched a series of Alpha trials to test the use of Low Earth Orbit (LEO)
satellites to improve broadband connectivity in very hard to reach locations. Up to
15 sites will be selected to trial the technology across the UK and to date four sites
have been announced, including two in Snowdonia National Park.</p><p>The £1 billion
Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme is already delivering 4G coverage uplifts in
Wales and across the whole of the UK. Currently, 4G coverage in Wales stands at 62%
from all four operators and will rise to a minimum of 80% through the SRN. Coverage
from at least one operator currently stands at 90% and will increase to 95% in Wales
once the programme completes. For further details on the SRN and how it will enable
rural businesses and communities to thrive please visit <a href="https://srn.org.uk/forecast-coverage-improvements/"
target="_blank">https://srn.org.uk/forecast-coverage-improvements/</a>.</p>
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