BT has to be more open about if and when properties without broadband are going to get it, an MP has said.
David Davies, who chairs the parliamentary Welsh Affairs Committee, took a cross-party group of MPs to the Openreach headquarters in London to discuss the need to increase the rollout of high-speed fibre connections.
Openreach is the BT division that owns and operates most of the UK’s broadband network.
Monmouth MP Mr Davies said progress had been made but many homes and businesses, especially in rural communities, are still not connected to the internet.
Wales suffers from some of the worst broadband speeds in the whole of the UK - and there are numerous areas devoid of any internet coverage at all.
“The Welsh Government has announced plans for another rollout scheme which will connect 88,000 hard-to-reach properties but householders who currently have no broadband should be told urgently if they will be included and what the timetable is,” said Mr Davies.
“Openreach admitted to us that some isolated properties will never be reached by fibre. Those people have a right to know so they can make alternative arrangements using satellite or 4G technology.
“We also discussed Community Fibre Partnerships, which could possibly benefit certain locations in Monmouthshire. In an area where a number of premises lack broadband, homes and businesses can join together to pool any grant money that might be available.
“They can then work with Openreach engineers to obtain a quote for receiving broadband. I would be pleased to talk to any local groups interested in exploring this option.”