BT rolling out faster broadband to 78,000 more Welsh properties

BT has announced another 78,000 homes and businesses in Wales will be able to receive its high-speed copper broadband service over the coming months.

Colwyn Bay, Prestatyn and Haverfordwest are among the 18 Welsh exchange areas included in the rollout programme, which is scheduled for completion by next spring.

The telecoms giant's investment will give residents and employers access to download speeds of up to 20Mbps - more than double the capabilities available to the average UK home.

BT's fast copper broadband service has already been extended to reach 47 per cent of Welsh households, with the company targeting 60 per cent coverage by spring 2012.

Ann Beynon, director for Wales at BT, said the deployment represents a "major milestone" in the development of the country's broadband infrastructure.

"We hope that this ongoing multimillion-pound investment will reduce the obligation on the public purse to provide faster broadband in the most challenging areas," she added.

Earlier this month, BT revealed plans to deploy fibre optic broadband to 15,000 more properties in north Wales by autumn 2012, taking the number of premises passed by its super-fast service to more than 300,000.