Auditor General Examining Welsh Government’s investment in broadband

08 May 2014
  • The Auditor General for Wales has recently started a review of the Welsh Government’s investment in high speed broadband infrastructure across Wales.

    The examination is part of his programme of value for money reviews and will answer the question: “Is the Welsh Government’s approach to rolling out broadband infrastructure to households and businesses likely to deliver its intended benefits?”

    The Wales Audit Office study team, who are carrying out the review, will consider the effectiveness of the Welsh Government’s strategy and targets; its financial planning and governance structures for the programme; the contractual arrangements with BT for the Superfast Cymru programme; as well as the Welsh Government’s procurement processes,  risk management arrangements, and the monitoring and evaluation of the contract  .

    As part of this review, around 1000 businesses and households will be surveyed in the two areas where there has been significant progress in the the roll-out of high speed broadband – Blaenau Gwent and Gwynedd - to see whether it is making a difference and, if so, to what extent.

    The project team are also inviting members of the public to get in touch with any experiences they may have had of the Superfast Cymru programme. People can email the team at broadband.study@wao.gov.uk.

    Feedback gathered will help to inform the final report – which is due to be published by the end of the year. However, the study team are not able to take up any complaints about BT or other broadband service providers and may not be able to reply to individual correspondence.