MP Liz Saville Roberts said figures identifying those areas as amongst the worst-served in the UK for access to superfast broadband are a ‘wake-up’ call for both the UK and Welsh governments.
A report published by Ofcom show over 18 per cent of households in Dwyfor Meirionnydd receive broadband speeds of less than 10Mbps, the eligibility threshold set by the UK Government for network upgrades.
Figures also show average download speeds in the constituency are significantly below both the Wales and UK averages, with the communities of Abersoch, Aberdaron, Bala, Mawddwy, Cricieth and Llanaelhaearn amongst the worst in the UK.
Mrs Saville Roberts said: “These figures once again reaffirm the disproportionate divide between those areas which can access superfast broadband and those rural communities, such as those which I represent, which fall short of achieving the government’s own baseline download speed of 10Mbps.
“Although some areas have seen improvements, many constituents remain unable to access what Ofcom recognises as the speed necessary to deliver an acceptable user experience. Our rural economy post-Covid will see more people being offered the opportunity of working from home. That is why upgrading digital infrastructure in rural areas is more important than ever.
“The current situation is not only a real inconvenience for businesses but also denies employees the opportunity to take full advantage of increasing flexibility within the jobs market.
“This is another damning report card for both the Welsh and UK governments which have prioritised easy to reach areas first – areas which already had comparatively good broadband – to the detriment of rural Wales.
“If we are to strengthen and improve our economy post-Covid we must ensure everyone has access to reliable superfast broadband, much as we expect from our electricity and water services.”
A spokesperson for Openreach said: “We’re proud of the work our engineers have done throughout Gwynedd and the rest of Wales to bring fibre broadband to the country.
“As of today nearly 90 per cent of Gwynedd can place an order for superfast broadband as a result of our work but we realise there’s more to do.
“No other provider is doing more than Openreach to build fibre broadband across Gwynedd. We’re investing £12 billion of our own money to bring full fibre to both urban and rural parts of the country and we’re also working with the Welsh Government to try and reach those areas that missed out during previous build plans.
“We agree that no community or household should be left alone and this requires a sector wide approach with both private and public investment.
“We would urge any community currently out of scope for any rural fibre build – as was the case with Llanymawddwy in Gwynedd - to work with us as part of our Community Fibre Partnership scheme where the cost of the entire build can often be covered by government vouchers.”
The Welsh Government said: “Despite it not being a devolved issue, we have a range of measures to help those still not connected including a new £10m Local Broadband Fund, a further fibre rollout with Openreach which will bring gigabit speeds to an additional 39,000 properties across Wales including to date 1,353 in Gwynedd and a range of voucher schemes to help individuals and communities without access to superfast broadband.”