Broadband in Merthyr Tydfil

The basics are close to solved here. Superfast availability stands at 97.5%, matching the UK average of roughly 97 per cent, and the sub-10 Mbps tail has shrunk to 0.7% of postcodes. That is a small residue, about one postcode in 140. The step up to top speeds is where the numbers thin out. Gigabit-capable coverage, recorded in this dataset as cable network availability rather than full fibre, reaches 69.9% of postcodes. Seven in ten is respectable, yet it leaves around three postcodes in ten without a gigabit option even though nearly all of them clear the superfast bar comfortably. Four outward codes make the geography simple by UK standards. CF46, CF47 and CF48 all feature in the data, and with so few codes covering 1,617 postcodes, coverage within each one is less varied than in sprawling multi-code districts. For most addresses the question is not whether decent broadband exists but which tier is on the menu.

Households can rely on the floor here, which is rarer than it sounds. With only 0.7% of postcodes below 10 Mbps, almost any address will support streaming, calls and home working at a basic level. The 30% or so without gigabit coverage face a ceiling rather than a gap: fine for most uses, limiting for data-heavy households who should confirm the top tier is available before choosing a property.