Wales to get Yuletide broadband push

More people in Wales are to be encouraged to sign up to broadband with the launch of a new Christmas marketing campaign

The campaign, announced by the National Assembly for Wales on 22 December 2004, consists of a direct mail promotion to 650,000 homes across Wales, together with billboard posters in 150 locations and extensive advertising on buses. It has been designed to stimulate awareness about the benefits of broadband, and encourage the take-up of broadband across Wales.

Andrew Davies, e-minister for Wales, said: "Providing broadband access is one of the Welsh Assembly Government's priorities as we transform Wales from the highly industrialised economy of the last century to a knowledge-based economy for the twenty-first century."

"We have set tough targets to promote and improve demand as well as supply of broadband in Wales, and this Christmas campaign is part of our drive to increase awareness of the benefits of broadband and encourage more people to take up the service in Wales."

The Welsh Assembly Government said the country will have 96 percent broadband coverage by 2005 under its Broadband Wales programme.

It was recently announced that the first phase of the Regional Innovative Broadband Support project is to focus on delivering broadband to all areas of Wales previously described as broadband "black spots", subject to European Commission approval.