THERE is hope for rural communities in west Wales after alternative broadband company Broadway Partners was taken over by another company.

Broadway Partners went into administration in June this year, which left many in rural communities including Dyffryn Cennen and Llanfihangel Aberbythych concerned about their broadband as they were in discussions with the company to provide them with ultra-fast broadband.

Now, Broadway Partners has become part of the Voneus Broadbrand group and this new group will be funded with up to £250milllion to help with the distribution of broadband into rural communities.

The group has said that customers of Broadway Partners will see service changes in the near term and that they will still receive support from the company.

The news was welcomed by local politicians who had raised concerns about their rural communities. Adam Price, MS for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, said that he was pleased by the news. He added: “Unfortunately, we are no strangers to unreliable and slow broadband in rural Carmarthenshire, I look forward to seeing how Voneus will work to solve this ongoing problem.”

Cefin Campbell, MS for Mid and West Wales, added: “Having previously raised this matter in the Senedd, I’m delighted to learn of this development, and wish Voneus well as they take over.

“Archaic connectivity remains a huge issue in many rural areas – hampering businesses and day-to-day tasks. I do hope this development will be a step forward to improving broadband across Carmarthenshire and mid and west Wales.”

Hefin Jones, Carmarthenshire County Councillor for Llanfihangel Aberbythych, said: “This is promising news for the residents of my ward who put their faith in Broadway Partners. It’s now important that Voneus deliver on the commitments made by Broadway and bring reliable and fast broadband to the rural communities of Carmarthenshire.”

Voneus has had a major expansion as it merges with SWS Broadband and Cadence Networks, whilst acquiring Broadway Partners. All are now operating as part of the Voneus name.

The £250million will be coming from shareholders Macquarie Capital, Israel Infrastructure Fund and Tiger Infrastructure Partners as well as bank lenders to help advance the company and close the digital divide, with a combined target of serving 350,000 properties across the UK.

Christopher Traggio, CEO of Voneus Broadband, said: “This is a very exciting time for Voneus, and for our new partners, shareholders, and the communities we serve.

“We have the backing of our shareholders to accelerate our roll-out plan, which we know will make a positive impact as we all share the same focus to deliver innovative broadband solutions to communities across the UK.

“Welcoming SWS Broadband, Cadence Networks and Broadway Partners into Voneus provides us with even more opportunities to support businesses, individuals, and communities to thrive - fostering economic development, education, and communication to help improve the overall quality of life no matter where they are from.”