Wales will be one of the regions to benefit the most from the planned provision of broadband access to all parts of the UK by the year 2012.

That is the suggestion made by Roger Williams, Wales spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, who has told North Wales' Daily Post that he welcomes the proposal made in Lord Carter's recently-released Digital Britain report.

The communications minister laid out a vision for nationwide broadband internet coverage with speeds of up to at least 2Mb, an idea Mr Williams says would be of particular benefit to areas of Wales deprived of such services.

He commented: "The news that universal access to broadband by 2012 has been put forward will certainly be welcomed by many in Wales, with many in rural areas struggling to get connected.

"Past experience suggests that Wales has a higher proportion of people who can't get access to broadband - any fund, industry or otherwise, must give Wales a share based on need rather than population."

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price has complained to the Western Mail that the 2Mb benchmark set out by Lord Carter is lower than the 5Mb proposed by new president Barack Obama in the US.