Wrexham Internet Connectivity Plans

£60 million internet connectivity plan may see councils own and manage their own ducting.

19:41 09 July 2018

Wrexham councillors had a crash course in internet connectivity that focused on a novel method of improving internet connectivity. The scheme, which requires £60million funding, may enable North Wales local authorities to install, own and manage the ducting that fibre cables sits in.

 

The strategy plan and the formal report presented at the meeting was by GreySky Consulting, which is headed by James Saunby, a former high level BT broadband guru. They will be part of creating a detailed action plan and development of a bid to the UK Government’s Local Full Fibre Network Fund.

 

Council Leader Mark Pritchard, who formally presented the report in the meeting, said that “if the Growth Bid was successful connectivity would be the number one priority for all of the north wales authorities.”

 

Wrexham Council’s Chief Economic Development Officer Steve Bailey weighed in saying that if the council is willing to pay, a faster cabled connection is possible. “You need to improve the passive hard infrastructure, to be ready to improve to 5G anyway.”

 

“Investment in 5G is with the providers, and it not something we can do anything about. The best thing we can do is make us readily available for that investment.”