Written By:

Alwen Williams
Portfolio Director
Ambition North Wales

 

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One of the key purposes of Wales Tech Week is to showcase Wales as an emerging tech hub. The summit’s creators, Technology Connected, asked Alwen Williams, Portfolio Director at Ambition North Wales – which oversees the North Wales Growth Deal – to explain the work being done in the region to boost infrastructure, improve digital inclusion, and further stimulate economic growth.

I was well into my late twenties before my old reliable CRT TV gave up on me and I purchased my first flat screen TV in the early to mid-noughties. Years before this I’d seen an impressive flat screen plasma TV, connected to the internet, during a visit to the ‘home of the future’ at BT’s research and development centre in Ipswich. I’d worked for BT since I was 19 and considered myself to be tech-savvy, but my brain couldn’t process why on earth you’d need a TV connected to the internet, what was the point? When I consider where we are now and what the future holds in terms of technology, I allow myself to believe that anything is possible. I’m intrigued and excited about the role technology plays in our lives on a day-to-day basis and proud of the part I’m playing in enabling this, alongside my colleagues and our partners at Ambition North Wales.

The Growth Deal will bring over £1billion of investment and over 4,200 new jobs into North Wales by 2036. It is an agreement between both UK and Welsh Government, each contributing £120 million, to address known challenges within the region, unlock opportunities and build on our strengths through a regional partnership called Ambition North Wales.

Addressing Digital Connectivity is one of five key Growth Deal programmes and is set to bring equity of digital access to residents and businesses across North Wales, signalling that we are very much open for business and ready to compete with the world.  With a £37 million investment earmarked from the Growth Deal funding, this initiative is set to redefine North Wales’ technological landscape, underpinning an ambition to fuel a thriving economy powered by digital connectivity.

The Digital Connectivity Programme forms the backbone of this ambitious plan, targeting the improvement of wireless and fixed broadband connectivity across North Wales and ensuring it is prepared for future networks such as 5G. While many regions of the UK have thrived amidst the digital revolution and benefitted from commercial roll-out programmes, parts of North Wales have been left grappling with inconsistent, slow, and unreliable broadband coverage. This discrepancy, known as the ‘digital divide', not only stifles community growth but also holds back our region’s economic potential.

We won’t sit back and allow for this divide because North Wales deserves better. We are responding through integrating five innovative projects aimed at promoting sustainable connectivity, attracting inward investment, and enriching the digital connectivity offer for residents and businesses by 2036. The programme's broader objectives entail creating up to 380 new jobs, boosting the economy by up to £158 million and paving the way for the diffusion of new digital connectivity technologies.

Among the projects, Connected Campuses is set to establish better digital connectivity options for businesses across key commercial sites in. This will give both new and existing businesses a choice of connectivity options, allowing them to identify the appropriate, affordable, and reliable option to support their business to thrive. For too long, these sites have been limited in terms of their options, often resulting in very limited and costly solutions for reliable connectivity.

On a similar note, the Connected Key Sites and Corridors project focuses on enhancing the reliability and quality of mobile services on principal roads and rail routes. All too often we sit on a train to, from or in North Wales and wrestle with a very unstable connection or worse still, none at all. By prioritising the development of fibreoptic networks – pivotal for 4G, 5G, and gigabit-capable broadband delivery – this project sets the stage for high-speed connectivity across the major transit routes in our region.

The ‘Last Few %' project underlines the commitment to inclusivity in digital connectivity. With an aim to bridge the digital divide and bring superfast broadband to the remaining premises, it promises to empower the region’s communities and businesses with sustainable and affordable broadband connectivity and really get to those hard-to-reach places that still struggle by with way less than 30Mbps.

Addressing the gaps is important, but it doesn’t stop there for North Wales. We are pushing the boundaries on innovation in Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technologies with investment in world leading research capability and capacity at Bangor University’s established DSP centre of excellence. It is a vital part of the digital economy and manages how data is processed efficiently and reliably between devices and people. Recognised by the Welsh and UK Governments for its critical role in regional development, the DSP Centre has become a hub for developing new DSP technologies, driving industry collaboration, and creating job opportunities within the region’s supply chains.

The North Wales Growth Deal, through its Digital Connectivity Programme, promises more than improved connectivity. It signifies a paradigm shift in North Wales' approach towards digital advancement, emphasising the role of digital and technological inclusion, innovation, and connectivity in securing a thriving economy for the future.

Such an investment not only ensures the region's competitiveness in the digital age but also promises complete parity of access to high-speed digital networks. In an increasingly digital global economy, these initiatives offer North Wales an unmissable opportunity to leapfrog into a future where the digital divide is a thing of the past, and the whole region can participate fully in the opportunities the digital age affords.

The North Wales Growth Deal, therefore, serves as a model for regions looking to stimulate economic growth through digital advancement. As we enter a new era of digitalisation, the success of our projects will undoubtedly highlight the importance of investment in digital connectivity, reinforcing its role as a cornerstone of regional growth and prosperity.