LONDON -- Wales is set to become a global leader in fibre broadband as the result of an ambitious project announced today by the Welsh Government and BT. This project – which is the largest partnership of its kind in the UK – will use public and private funds to deliver fibre broadband to parts of the country not covered by commercial plans.

The initiative, which is subject to State aid and major projects approval from the European Commission, will take the total amount invested in Welsh fibre broadband to around £425 million when BT’s commercial investment is also taken into account.

The project is the next phase in the delivery of the Welsh Government’s commitment to make high speed broadband available across the country. It will build on BT’s existing investment with the aim being that 96 per cent of Welsh homes and businesses will have access to world class broadband speeds of up to 80Mbps by the end of 2015. Ultra-fast broadband speeds of up to 330Mbps will also be deployed in certain areas and made available ‘on demand’ throughout the entire fibre footprint should Welsh businesses want to upgrade to even faster speeds.

BT has been chosen following an extensive and thorough selection process. The company is investing approximately £220 million in Welsh fibre broadband with most of that going towards this specific project. The Welsh Government is contributing £58 million and has secured additional funding of £57 million from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) and around £90 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

BT Group plc (NYSE: BT; London: BTA)