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The Swansea Bay City Deal’s Digital Infrastructure Programme, which includes various broadband and other digital infrastructure upgrades as part of the wider £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Region project, has received a green rating in its latest Gateway Review, which is said to reflect its progress in improving digital connectivity across the region.
Just to recap. The UK and Welsh Governments gave approval for a £55m digital infrastructure investment under the Swansea Bay City Region project back in 2021 (here), which among other things aimed to expand full fibre and 5G mobile connectivity to benefit homes and businesses across Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Swansea. Some of this investment also comes from the Local Broadband Fund (LBF) for Wales.
A number of related projects have since been awarded and made good progress, such as the £1.9m Full Fibre Infrastructure Build project with BT that helped to upgrade 69 key public sector sites (here). As a result, the Office for Project Delivery’s independent review team has now awarded the highest possible rating to the programme, stating that delivery to time, cost and quality is highly likely, with no major issues affecting progress.
Sadly, there isn’t yet a link to this review because it’s still due to be put through programme governance. But it is said to have “praised the programme’s agile delivery, strong stakeholder relationships, and the role of Digital Champions within each local authority“, who have been key in driving delivery, removing barriers and aligning public and private sector investment.
Simon Davies, Senior Responsible Owner for the programme, told ISPreview:
“I welcome the findings of this Gateway Review and am pleased that the Review Team has confirmed the programme is on track for successful delivery. Strong governance, stakeholder engagement and effective management have been key to our success. I’m especially proud of the impact our Broadband Engagement Officers and Digital Connectivity Relationship Managers have had in supporting communities and businesses across the region.”
Looking ahead, work is now said to be underway to explore the programme’s future beyond 2027, which may help to ensure the long-term sustainability of its projects and economic impact in the region.