9. Debate: Digital Connectivity

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:08 pm on 12 November 2019.

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Photo of Lee Waters Lee Waters Labour 5:08, 12 November 2019

Absolutely. On the case of 5G, Simon Gibson of an expert panel has done some great work in putting together a bid that is now with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to focus on Monmouthshire and the Heads of the Valleys to roll out a rural focus on 5G and its application in artificial intelligence. And the work of Michaelston-y-fedw is a brilliant example of what communities can do, developing a far better offer than the commercial offer would've provided, far cheaper for them as an ongoing cost but that requires a level of social capital that not every community has. There's a collection of individuals in that village that you wouldn't find in every village, with project management experience and various know-how and wherewithal. So, what we want to do is use that kind of unconventional approach where there is community demand, but to help people do it and to use social enterprises to do that where we think there's an opportunity. So, that's what we want to be looking at next to harness that social innovation and make that easier to do, rather than simply be reliant upon BT the whole time and their conventional roll-out programme. We want to see a multitude of approaches, especially in those areas where the commercial market is not reaching and is not likely to reach for some time.

So, just to conclude, Dirprwy Lywydd, that's the enthusiasm and commitment that I want to harness from our communities, and, as the recent review of digital innovation by Professor Phil Brown reminded us, it's essential that we adapt our economy and people to harnessing the opportunities presented by the disruption of the fourth industrial revolution, and making sure that people in all parts of Wales are digitally connected is a fundamental first step to doing that. Diolch.