Llanbrynmair residents sing the praises of ultrafast broadband
UK first as Powys community reach 100% Full Fibre broadband coverage (Gweler fersiwn Cymraeg isod / Please see Welsh language version below)
The rural village of Llanbrynmair in Powys can lay claim to being the first telephone exchange area in the UK to have 100% Full Fibre broadband coverage meaning every home and property in the village can now access ultrafast, ultra-reliable broadband.
This ground-breaking upgrade, which has been delivered by Openreach thanks to the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, brings Full Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology to every property in Llanbrynmair – more than 500 - delivering internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).
This significant boost in connectivity will transform the digital landscape for both residents and businesses by providing the community with seamless access to remote working, online education, entertainment streaming and other essential online services.
Among the Llabrynmair residents to see an instant benefit as a result of their new connectivity is local farmer and classical singer, Aled Wyn Davies.
Aled, who in addition to his busy day job of tending to his hillside farm, travels the world as part of the famous Three Welsh Tenors and has been singing the praises of his new ultrafast broadband.
Aled explains: “Having ultrafast broadband has completely changed our lives.”
“I can record myself singing and send it to an accompanist or studio and they receive everything instantaneously. Previously it would have taken 10 minutes or more and I would have to go outside the house to find a mobile signal. Everything’s instant now and so much easier.
“Everybody in the house is happy. We can use our different gadgets at the same time and I can watch the football and there’s no buffering at all. It’s perfect.”
Suzanne Rutherford, Chief Engineer Director for Openreach in Wales, said: "We’re delighted to announce Llanbrynmair as the first telephone exchange area in the UK to achieve 100% Full Fibre coverage.
“This milestone is a significant achievement for us and reflects Openreach’s commitment to building our Full Fibre network as far and as fast as possible.
“To reach every property within an exchange area with Full Fibre has never been done before so I’m proud that we managed to cross this engineering challenge in Wales first. Issues such as difficult topography, access to land or cost can all have an impact on how far we can go within a telephone exchange area but I’m delighted that these potential pitfalls have been crossed thanks to team work – from our local engineers, the community and UK Government.”
The achievement has been a collaborative effort, with the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme playing a pivotal role in funding the deployment of full fibre in rural and hard-to-reach areas. The scheme helps by contributing to the cost of building gigabit-capable broadband networks in areas where it is financially challenging.
UK Government Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant said: “It is fantastic to see an entire community in Wales having access to top-of-the-range internet thanks to this government-backed programme.
“A good internet connection is absolutely essential from easing day-to-day tasks such as online shopping and banking, to helping international musicians deliver showstopping performances, or enabling a farming business to branch out into other avenues."
Openreach has been working with the community to encourage residents to join their Fibre Community Partnership (FCP) programme – where free Government Gigabit Vouchers are pooled together to help fund the build.[1]
Across Wales more than fifty communities making up nearly 25,000 properties in some of the most rural parts of the country could take advantage of this ultrafast upgrade as a result of the scheme.
If enough people sign up, homes and businesses in these harder to reach communities will join more than 900,000 properties across Wales that already have access to Full Fibre broadband.
As part of the funding conditions residents are asked to commit to ordering a full fibre service from a provider of their choice for at least 12 months once the new network is available and confirm that they are connected.
Full Fibre is 80% more efficient than the old copper network, which will help Openreach reach its Let's Reach Zero targets.
Fibre optics - strands of glass around one-tenth the thickness of a human hair - transmit data using light signals. Fibre is smaller, lighter and more durable than copper cabling and less vulnerable to damage. This short video explains what full fibre technology is and there’s more info here.
Similar to Llanbrynmair, residents can check if they qualify and pledge their voucher on the Connect My Community website. Using the vouchers – which don’t cost residents anything, enables Openreach to work with a local community to build a customised, co-funded network.
You can find out more about the benefits of an upgrade to Full Fibre broadband on the Openreach website.
Trigolion Llanbrynmair yn canmol band eang tra-chyflym
Cymuned Powys y gyntaf yn y DU i dderbyn darpariaeth ffeibr cyflawn 100%
Pentref gwledig Llanbrynmair, Powys yw’r ardal cyfnewidfa ffôn gyntaf yn y DU i dderbyn darpariaeth band eang ffeibr cyflawn 100%, sy’n golygu bod pob cartref a busnes yn yr ardal yn gallu cael band eang ffeibr tra-chyflym, dibynadwy.
Cyflwynwyd yr uwchraddiad gan Openreach a Cynllun Talebau Band Eang Gigabeit Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig, gan ledu technoleg ffeibr FTTP (Full Fibre-to-the-premises) i bob cartref a busnes yn Llanbrynmair - sef dros 500 - ar gyflymder hyd at 1 gigabeit yr eiliad (Gbps).
Bydd yr hwb mawr i gysylltedd yr ardal yn trawsnewid tirwedd ddigidol trigolion a busnesau wrth hwyluso gweithio gartref, addysg arlein, ffrydio adloniant a defnyddio gwasanaethau arlein eraill.
Ymhlith y trigolion sydd wedi elwa o’r gwasanaeth yw’r ffermwr a chanwr clasurol lleol, Aled Wyn Davies.
Yn ogystal â’i waith bob dydd ar y fferm, mae Aled yn teithio a r draws y byd fel rhan o 3 Tenor Cymru ac mae wedi canmol y band eang tra-chyflym newydd.
Dywedodd Aled: “Mae wedi trawsnewid ein bywydau.”
“Gallaf recordio fy hun yn canu a’i anfon yn syth at gyfeilydd neu stiwdio. Cyn cael y gwasanaeth newydd, byddai wedi cymryd 10 munud neu fwy, a byddwn yn gorfod mynd allan o’r tŷ i gael signal ffôn symudol. Erbyn hyn mae popeth yn digwydd yn syth ac yn llawer haws.
“Mae pawb yn hapus yma wrth ddefnyddio teclynnau a ffonau ar yr un pryd, a gwylio pêl-droed heb unrhwy oedi o gwbl. Perffaith.”
Dywedodd Suzanne Rutherford, prif beiriannydd Openreach Cymru: "Rydym yn falch iawn o gyhoeddi mai Llanbrynmair yw’r ardal cyfnewidfa ffôn gyntaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig i dderbyn darpariaeth ffeibr cyflawn 100%.
“Mae’n cynrychioli carreg filltir sylweddol i ni ac yn adlewyrchu ymroddiad Openreach i ledu ein rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflym ar draws y wlad cyn gynted â phosibl.
“Nid oedd y cwmni wedi llwyddo i gyrraedd pob cartref a busnes gyda ffeibr cyflawn o fewn ardal cyfnewidfa o’r blaen, felly rwy’n falch ein bod wedi cyflawni’r her am y tro cyntaf yng Nghymru. Mae heriau fel topograffi anodd, mynediad at dir a chostau uchel yn effeithio ein gwaith o fewn ardaloedd cyfnewidfeydd ffôn ond rwy’n hynod falch ein bod wedi llwyddo i’w goroesi wrth gydweithio mewn timau gyda’n peirianwyr, cymunedau a Llywodraeth y DU.”
Llwyddwyd i wneud hynny wrth gydweithio ag eraill, gyda Chynllun Band Eang Gigabeit Llywodraeth y DU yn allweddol wrth ariannu ffeibr cyflawn mewn ardaloedd gwledig ac anodd eu cyrraedd. Mae’r cynllun yn helpu i gyllido rhwydweithiau band eang gigabeit mewn ardaloedd ble byddai fel arall yn heriol.
Dywedodd Gweinidog Telegyfathrebiadau Llywodraeth y DU, Syr Chris Bryant: "Mae'n wych gweld cymuned gyfan yng Nghymru yn cael mynediad i'r rhyngrwyd o'r radd flaenaf diolch i'r rhaglen hon a gefnogir gan y llywodraeth.
“Mae cysylltiad rhyngrwyd da yn gwbl hanfodol o leddfu tasgau o ddydd i ddydd fel siopa ar-lein a bancio, i helpu cerddorion rhyngwladol i gyflwyno perfformiadau sy'n atal y sioe, neu alluogi busnes ffermio i ymestyn allan i lwybrau eraill.”
Yn ogystal, mae Openreach wedi gweithio gyda chymunedau er mwyn cymell trigolion i ymuno â’i raglen Partneriaeth Ffeibr Cymunedol - sy’n cronni Talebau Gigabeit y Llywodraeth er mwyn helpu i ariannu’r gwaith adeiladu.[1]
Ar draws y wlad, gallai bron 50 cymuned yn cynnwys oddeutu 25,000 cartref mewn rhai o’r ardaloedd mwyaf gwledig fachu ar y cyfle i gael band eang tra-chyflym drwy’r cynllun.
Os bydd digon o bobl yn arwyddo, bydd cartrefi a busnesau mewn cymunedau anodd eu cyrraedd yn ymuno â dros 970,000 ar draws y wlad sydd eisoes yn gallu cael band eang ffeibr cyflawn.
Fel rhan o amodau’r cynllun, gofynnir i’r trigolion archebu gwasanaeth ffeibr cyflawn gan gwmni o’u dewis am o leiaf 12 mis unwaith bydd y rhwydwaith newydd ar gael, a chadarnhau eu cysylltiad.
Ffeibr optig - edafedd gwydr llai na gwallt pobl - yn trosglwyddo data drwy signalau golau. Mae ffeibr yn llai, mwy ysgafn a gwydn na cheblau copr ac yn llai tebygol o’i ddifrodi. Fideo byr yn esbonio technoleg ffeibr cyflawn a mwy o wybodaeth yma.
Mae ffeibr cyflawn yn 80% mwy effeithiol na’r hen rwydwaith copr, fydd yn helpu i gyrraedd amcanion Reach Zero Openreach.
Yn debyg i ardal Llanbrynmair, bydd trigolion yn gallu gwirio eu cymhwyster ac addo talebau ar wefan Connect My Community. Bydd defnyddio’r talebau - na fydd yn costio ceiniog, yn galluogi Openreach i gydweithio â chymunedau lleol i adeiladu rhwydweithiau ar y cyd.
Gallwch ddysgu mwy am fanteision uwchraddio i fand eang ffeibr cyflawn ar wefan Openreach.
