PROMISES to roll out improved superfast broadband in Ceredigion are “failing to materialise” and “seriously affecting people’s lives”, the county’s MP has said.

Mark Williams was speaking after an Ofcom decision to maintain a link between BT and its infrastructure arm, Openreach.

Openreach, which installs and maintains the wires and cables necessary for the UK’s telecoms network, has come under criticism for failing to invest sufficiently in broadband infrastructure and services.

However, this week Ofcom rejected calls to split Openreach from BT, instead ruling that Openreach should become a legally separate company, with control over its own budget and branding.

Mr Williams has criticised Ofcom’s decision.

“Ceredigion sits in the bottom 10 per cent of constituencies for average broadband speed and superfast availability and I have no doubt that the reason for this is that my constituency is largely rural,” he said.

“The number of broadband-related pieces of casework my staff and I get on a weekly basis reflects a growing consensus that something needs to be done about the woeful internet speeds in Wales.”

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