Major investment across South West Wales will help narrow the digital divide between urban and rural areas in a boost for agriculture and remote communities.<br />Forming part of the Swansea Bay City Deal’s £25m digital infrastructure programme, a dedicated rural workstream is committed to delivering high-quality connectivity to places where the cost of connecting homes and businesses would otherwise be too high for commercial investment alone to be viable.<br />Investing in high-speed broadband in rural communities across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, and Swansea would help enable the introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) technology to benefit businesses including farms.<br />This technology would help farmers monitor crops, livestock, machinery and environmental conditions remotely and in real time, potentially leading to improved decision-making, resource efficiency and cost savings.<br />Supporting initiatives such as UK Government’s Project Gigabit is also a key aspect of the digital infrastructure programme’s rural workstream. Local digital champions are on board to ensure communities are aware of when applications for voucher schemes are being accepted. <br />©Pic: pixabay<br />
