£1 billion boost to Welsh economy as ultrafast broadband reaches 1 million properties
Treorchy pub hits the bullseye with Full Fibre upgrade (Gweler fersiwn Cymraeg isod / Please see Welsh language version below)
A new report from experts at the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) and Stantec reveals that Openreach’s ongoing upgrades to Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband across Wales could deliver a £1 billion boost to the Welsh economy by 2029.
The economic impact of Full Fibre broadband has emerged alongside news that more than a million homes and businesses can now access ultrafast, Full Fibre broadband on the company’s Welsh digital network.
The research, commissioned by Openreach, looks ahead to 2029 and highlights how Full Fibre broadband is set to supercharge local economies, creating new jobs, driving social connectivity, and fuelling economic growth.
Laying claim to being the country’s 1 millionth Full Fibre enabled property is Treorchy’s award winning Lion Hotel.
In addition to being the hub of the community winning dozens of local and national awards the Lion Hotel is also used as a focal point for study groups, meetings, co-working and more. As owner, Adrian Emmett, explains the popular pub in on target with its future plans for the business now that ultrafast broadband has been installed.
“Since coming out of lockdown, we’ve continued to digitize our business. Our music system, tills, CCTV, booking system are now fully digital. But our Wi-Fi often struggles.”
“A number of customers use the Lion Hotel as a shared working space but poor wi-fi has let them down in the past.
“We’re continuously looking to improve our offer to customers and have just installed a new interactive dart systems which rely on reliable internet connectivity.
“Having ultrafast broadband is a game changer. It opens so many doors. Not only to us as a business but to communities up and down the country.”
With a TikTok page boasting 127,000 followers generating a staggering 260 million views the Lion Hotel is proud of its online following and has plans to develop their social media content even further now that Full Fibre broadband is a reality.
“As with everything online there’s a growing demand for live streaming – something we’ve not been able to provide in the past. But now with our ultrafast connection the sky’s the limit and we can’t wait to see where it takes the business.”
While improving the ability of creating and sharing compelling social media content is a benefit of accessing Openreach’s new Full Fibre network the new CEBR report has outlined a number of advantages.
They include:
- Economic Impact: Openreach’s Full Fibre rollout could add £66 billion GVA[1] to the UK economy by 2029.
- Job Creation: Flexible work options could help 620,000 individuals, including parents and older workers, return to work.
- NHS Support: An estimated five million online appointments by 2029 to help meet rising healthcare demands, doubling the current number.
- Educational Benefits: A boost to pass rates for 21,700 students in key subjects.
- Increases to Property Values: Homes with Full Fibre see an average increase of £1,900.
- Environmental Gains: By 2029, 1.4 million more home workers will mean fewer car journeys and lower carbon emissions.
Welcoming the 1 million milestone, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens said:
“The UK Government’s number one priority is to drive economic growth and connecting homes and businesses across Wales is a vital part of this.
“We are investing millions to ensure that every part of Wales has full gigabit coverage as quickly as possible.
“Reaching a million properties in Wales with Openreach's ultra-fast broadband is a significant milestone and we want to see many more businesses like The Lion enjoy gigabit-capable speeds to boost growth and productivity in all our communities.”
Congratulating Openreach on its achievement Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said:
“I’d like to congratulate Openreach on hitting the one million properties milestone. I am delighted that homes and businesses across Wales, such as the Lion Hotel, are benefitting.
“The Welsh Government, through our Digital Strategy for Wales, is committed to working with the telecommunications industry to deliver the fixed and wireless connectivity services that businesses, the public sector, and homes in Wales need to thrive.”
Openreach aims to see its Fibre network reach 25 million across the UK by 2026, and as many as 30 million by the end of the decade, assuming conditions for investment remain supportive.
"Openreach is already leading the way in transforming digital connectivity across Wales and the rest of the UK." said Suzanne Rutherford, Complex Engineering Wales, Openreach.
"With Full Fibre now available to 1million Welsh homes and businesses, we’re excited about the projected impact this work and our future build will have on local communities, as highlighted in the new report.
"By equipping residents and businesses with fast, reliable broadband, we’re not just upgrading internet speeds—we’re laying the groundwork for economic growth, job creation, and increased opportunities for remote work, digital learning, and innovative healthcare access.”
People should visit the Openreach postcode checker to find out if full fibre is available in their local area, and then contact their broadband provider of choice to upgrade.
The Cebr report is available at openreach.com/about/policy-hub
[1] Gross Value Added (GVA). A measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry, or sector of an economy. It represents the value of output minus the value of intermediate inputs used in production
Taken together, the productivity and workforce boosts to Gross Value Added (GVA) will total £66 billion per year by 2029 and £73 billion per year by 2034
Hwb gwerth £1 biliwn i economi Cymru wrth i fand eang tra-chyflym gyrraedd 1 miliwn safle
Lion Hotel, Treorci yn derbyn uwchraddiad ffeibr cyflawn
Mae adroddiad newydd gan arbenigwyr Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) a Stantec wedi datgelu gallai gwaith Openreach wrth uwchraddio cartrefi a busnesau ar draws y wlad i fand eang ffeibr cyflawn roi hwb gwerth £1 biliwn i economi Cymru erbyn 2029.
Datgelwyd effaith economaidd band eang ffeibr cyflawn wrth gyhoeddi bod dros 1 miliwn cartref a busnes yn gallu cysylltu â rhwydwaith Cymreig digidol y cwmni erbyn hyn.
Comisiynwyd yr ymchwil gan Openreach er mwyn edrych ymlaen at 2029 a nodi sut bydd band eang ffeibr cyflawn yn symbylu economïau lleol, creu swyddi newydd, gwella cysylltedd cymdeithasol a chynnal tyfiant.
Mae Openrech wedi cyhoeddi mai’r Lion Hotel Treorci yw safle rhif 1 miliwn i dderbyn band eang ffeibr cyflawn.
Yn ogystal â gweithredu fel both cymunedol ac ennill llwyth o wobrau lleol a chenedlaethol, defnyddir y dafarn fel man cyfarfod ar gyfer grwpiau astudio, cydweithwyr a mwy. Esboniodd y perchennog Adrian Emmett fod y dafarn boblogaidd yn dilyn ei gynllun i ddatblygu’r busnes ar ôl derbyn band eang ffeibr cyflawn.
“Yn dilyn y cyfnodau clo, rydym wedi parhau i drosi ein busnes i ddigidol, gyda’r system gerdd, peiriannau arian, CCTV a system archebu yn ddigidol erbyn hyn. Ond roedd y Wi-Fi dal yn achosi problemau.”
“Mae nifer o gwsmeriaid yn defnyddio’r Lion fel gofod gweithio ond mae’r wi-fi wedi profi’n broblem.
“Byddwn yn parhau i wella ein darpariaeth ar gyfer cwsmeriaid a newydd osod systemau dartiau rhyngweithiol sy’n dibynnu ar gysylltedd rhyngrwyd dibynadwy.
“Mae cael band eang tra-chyflym wedi gweddnewid ein sefyllfa ni fel busnes a hefyd bywydau cymunedau ar draws y wlad.”
Mae tudalen TikTok y dafarn wedi denu 127,000 o ddilynwyr a 260 miliwn ymweliad! O ganlyniad, mae’r Lion yn falch o’i phresenoldeb arlein ac yn bwriadu datblygu cyfryngau cymdeithasol ymhellach ar ôl derbyn band eang ffeibr cyflawn.
“Yn debyg i bopeth arlein mae galw cynyddol am ffrydio cynnwys yn fyw - ond nid oedd hynny’n bosibl yn y gorffennol. Yn awr, gyda’r cysylltiad tra-chyflym gallwn wneud cymaint mwy i hybu’r busnes.”
Er bod gwella adnoddau i greu a rhannu cynnwys ar y cyfryngau cymdeithasol yn un o fuddion rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn Openreach, mae adroddiad newydd CEBR wedi amlinellu nifer o fanteision eraill, yn cynnwys:
- Effaith Economaidd: Gallai rhaglen ffeibr cyflawn Openreach ychwanegu £66 biliwn GVA[1] at economi’r Deyrnas Unedig erbyn 2029
- Creu Swyddi: Gallai opsiynau gweithio hyblyg helpu 620,000 o unigolion, yn cynnwys rhieni a gweithwyr hŷn, ddychwelyd i waith
- Gwasanaeth Iechyd: Trefnu oddeutu pum miliwn apwyntiad arlein erbyn 2029 er mwyn ymateb i’r galw cynyddol am ofal iechyd, gan ddyblu’r nifer presennol
- Addysg: Cynyddu cyfraddau llwyddiant 21,700 myfyriwr mewn pynciau allweddol
- Codi prisiau tai: Cartrefi gyda ffeibr cyflawn yn destun cynnydd cyfartalog o £1,900
- Amgylchedd: Erbyn 2029, bydd 1.4 miliwn gweithiwr cartref ychwanegol yn gostwng nifer y teithiau cymudo a lefelau allyriadau.
Croesawu’r 1 miliwn, Ysgrifennydd Cymru Jo Stevens:
“Blaenoriaeth Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig yw cynnal tyfiant economaidd, ac mae cysylltu busnesau a chartrefi ar draws y wlad yn rhan hanfodol o hynny.
“Rydym yn buddsoddi £biliynau er sicrhau bydd pob rhan o Gymru yn cael gwasanaeth gigabeit cyn gynted â phosibl.
“Mae cyrraedd miliwn o gartrefi busnesau gyda band llydan tra-chyflym yn garreg filltir bwysig ac rydym am weld mwy o fusnesau fel y Lion yn gallu cael gwasanaethau digidol er mwyn hybu tyfiant a chynhyrchiant ym mhob cymuned.”
Wrth longyfarch llwyddiant Openreach, dywedodd Ysgrifennydd Economi, Ynni & Cynllunio, Llywodraeth Cymru, Rebecca Evans:
“Llongyfarchiadau i Openreach ar gyrraedd 1 miliwn safle. Rwy’n falch iawn o weld cartrefi a busnesau fel y Lion yn elwa o’r gwaith.
“Drwy Strategaeth Ddigidol Cymru, mae’r Llywodraeth wedi ymrwymo i gydweithio â’r diwydiant telathrebu i ddarparu’r gwasanaethau cysylltedd angenrheidiol er hybu ffyniant busnesau, y sector cyhoeddus a chartrefi.”
Nod Openreach yw lledu ei rwydwaith ffeibr i gyrraedd 25 miliwn ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig erbyn 2026, a hyd at 30 miliwn erbyn diwedd y degawd, o dderbyn amodau buddsoddi cefnogol.
"Mae Openreach eisoes yn dangos y ffordd wrth drawsnewid cysylltedd Cymru a gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig." dywedodd Suzanne Rutherford, Peirianneg Gymhleth Cymru, Openreach.
"Gyda dros 1 miliwn cartref a busnes yng Nghymru yn gallu cael ffeibr cyflawn, rydym yn awyddus i weld effaith y gwaith yma ar gymunedau lleol, yn unol â chasgliadau’r adroddiad.
"Wrth ddarparu band eang cyflym a dibynadwy ar gyfer trigolion a busnesu, byddwn nid yn unig yn cyflymu gwasanaethau - ond yn gosod sylfeini ar gyfer tyfiant economaidd, creu gwaith a chyfleoedd i weithio’n hyblyg, dysgu digidol a darparu gofal iechyd arloesol.”
Postcode checker Openreach yn nodi os yw ffeibr cyflawn ar gael yn eich ardal.
Copi o adroddiad Cebr yn openreach.com/about/policy-hub
[1] Gross Value Added (GVA). Mesur o werth nwyddau a gwasanaethau a gynhyrchir mewn ardal, diwydiant neu sector economi. Mae’n cynrychioli gwerth y cynnyrch llai gwerth y deunyddiau a ddefnyddir i greu’r cynnyrch
At ei gilydd, bydd cyfraniadau cynhyrchiant a gweithlu at GVA (Gross Value Added) yn dod i £66 biliwn y flwyddyn erbyn 2029 a £73 biliwn y flwyddyn erbyn 2034
