Government committee to examine Welsh broadband

The government's Welsh Affairs Select Committee has opened an inquiry into the issue of broadband coverage in Wales.

On Thursday, the committee said there was concern that Wales was "being left behind other parts of the UK and beyond in the digital revolution", despite the government's £830m drive for super-fast broadband to be deployed across the UK.

"Increasingly, reliable internet access is seen as a driver of economic performance and vital for business, education and people living alone or in isolated areas," the committee said in a statement.

Submissions can be made to the inquiry until 3 May, and public oral evidence sessions are expected to follow in June. The inquiry will examine the current provision of fixed and mobile Welsh broadband, the government's overall broadband strategy, the case for next-generation broadband pilots in Wales, and the extent of coordination between the UK and Welsh Assembly governments' broadband plans for the country.

The committee will also look into the progress being made in promoting digital inclusion in Wales. Last week, BT Openreach complained that residents of Cardiff were not sufficiently taking up the super-fast broadband being offered to them.