07
September
2021
|
12:18
Europe/Amsterdam

North Wales Wildlife Trust turns to full fibre to protect our wildlife

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North Wales Wildlife Trust full video
Summary

Openreach help revolutionise the way North Wales Wildlife Trust work with ultrafast full fibre (gweler fersiwn Cymraeg isod / Welsh version below)

Having ultrafast full fibre broadband has revolutionised the way that North Wales Wildlife Trust works according to its CEO, Frances Cattanach.

The Trust, which manages 36 nature reserves across North Wales covering around 790 hectares, has teamed up with digital network provider, Openreach, to connect its rural Maeshafn office near Mold with access to some of the fastest and most reliable broadband speeds in Europe.

In addition to running wildlife conservation projects that include re-introducing the beaver to Wales, managing natural habitats and running educational school visits, the Trust also provides environmental impact surveys for developers, and works with landowners to identify land for wildlife improvements. These surveys involve working on data heavy mapping files that meant staff had to leave the Maeshafn office and download documents at home – where their broadband speeds were quicker and more reliable.

With staff having to be at the office in order to manage its on site tree nursery and 500 plus volunteers the poor connectivity was proving to be a headache for the Trust and its leader.

Frances Cattanach explains: “North Wales Wildlife Trust is no different to any other organisation or business in that everything is moving online or being digitised. From sharing resources to saving our finances everything is moving to a shared central drive and our poor broadband was causing us real difficulties.”

“During lockdown we were finding that communication and collaboration improved among the team as our home broadband was better than what we had in the office.

“Working full-time from home isn’t an option as we need to be on site in Maeshafn but the new ultrafast connection that Openreach engineers have installed means we can now go back to the office with confidence.

“We turned to Openreach for a solution to our connectivity problem and their engineers have been incredible. Having fast, reliable fibre broadband means we can do so much more and quicker. Producing environmental impact surveys and digital maps are vital tools in protecting our natural habitats so being able to pull them together in the office – and not having to down tools and rely on your home broadband – is a huge bonus.”

“As an organisation it also important that our team – who are often dotted across North Wales – are able to communicate effectively in order to be able to collaborate. Having ultrafast broadband enables us to do this and we’re all delighted with the results.”

In order to connect the site Openreach engineers have run 13 km of fibre from the exchange in Connah's Quay to the Maeshafn office connecting nearly 100 properties along the way with access to some of the fastest and most reliable broadband speeds in Europe.

Andy Whale, Chief Engineer for Openreach, said: “In the same way that natural habitats need their own networks that keep them connected us humans are no different.”

“The work we’ve done to connect the North Wales Wildlife Trust illustrates perfectly how fast, reliable broadband is essential for us all and I’m delighted that we’ve not only been able to bring ultrafast fibre broadband to the NWWT office but also to a number of homes and businesses in the surrounding area.”

Openreach plays an important role across Wales. More than 2,500 of our people live and work here. Recent research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) highlighted the clear economic benefits of connecting everyone in Wales to full fibre. It estimated this would create a £2 billion boost to the local economy.

More than 320,000 homes and businesses can already order ultrafast, ultra-reliable full fibre broadband in Wales thanks to Openreach.

The company recently updated its build plan across Wales and the rest of the UK which will be fundamental to the UK Government achieving its target of delivering ‘gigabit capable’ broadband to 85 per cent of UK by 2025.

The updated plans will see Openreach investing £15 billion to build its ultrafast full fibre technology to a total of 25 million premises across the UK, including more than six million in the hardest-to-serve parts of the country by the end of 2026.

Openreach recently made a number of announcements on its latest build plans for Wales where more than 415,000 additional homes and businesses - in 140 mainly rural and harder to serve areas across every single Welsh local authority area – will get access to ultrafast fibre broadband. The company is also working in partnership with Welsh Government to reach those that are in the final 5%.

ENDS

North Wales Wildlife Trust

Band eang yn helpu i ddiogelu bywyd gwyllt y gogledd

 

Mae band eang ffeibr cyflawn wedi chwyldroi dulliau gwaith Ymddiriedolaeth Bywyd Gwyllt Gogledd Cymru yn ôl y prif weithredwr Frances Cattanach.

Mae’r Ymddiriedolaeth yn rheoli 36 gwarchodfa natur ar draws y gogledd sy’n cynrychioli oddeutu 790 hectar o dir ac wedi cydweithio ag Openreach i ddarparu band eang ar gyflymder sy’n cymharu â’r cyflymaf yn Ewrop ar gyfer swyddfa Maeshafn ger yr Wyddgrug.

Yn ogystal â chynnal projectau cadwraeth sy’n cynnwys ailgyflwyno afancod i Gymru, rheoli cynefinoedd naturiol a threfnu ymweliadau gan ysgolion, mae’r Ymddiriedolaeth hefyd yn darparu adroddiadau effeithiau amgylcheddol ar gyfer datblygwyr ac yn cydweithio â pherchnogion tir i glustnodi mannau i wella cynefinoedd bywyd gwyllt. Bydd yr arolygon hyn yn galw am weithio ar ffeiliau data cymhleth ac yn y gorffennol roedd rhaid i staff adael swyddfa Maeshafn a llwytho dogfennau yn eu cartrefi - ble roedd y gwasanaeth band eang yn fwy cyflym a dibynadwy.

Ond roedd rhaid cael staff yn y swyddfa er mwyn rheoli’r feithrinfa goed a gwaith dros 500 gwirfoddolwr, felly roedd y cysylltedd gwael yn broblem i’r Ymddiriedolaeth a’i harweinydd.

Esboniodd Frances Cattanach: “Mae’r Ymddiriedolaeth yn debyg i gyrff a busnesau eraill wrth weithio arlein a defnyddio adnoddau digidol. O rannu adnoddau i gofnodi ein cyllid, mae pob peth yn symud i’n gyriant canolog ac roedd y band eang gwael yn achosi problemau.”

“Yn ystod y cyfnod clo roedd cyfathrebu a chydweithio gan y tîm wedi gwella oherwydd roedd ein gwasanaethau band eang cartref yn well nag un y swyddfa.

“Nid yw gweithio gartref llawn amser yn opsiwn am fod rhaid bod ar safle Maeshafn ond mae’r cysylltiad newydd a osodwyd gan beirianwyr Openreach yn golygu gallwn ddychwelyd i’r swyddfa i wneud ein gwaith.”

“Gofynnwyd Openreach am ateb i’r broblem ac mae ei beirianwyr wedi bod yn wych. Mae cael band eang ffeibr cyflym a dibynadwy yn golygu gallwn wneud cymaint mwy. Mae llunio arolygon effeithiau amgylcheddol a mapiau digidol yn arfau hanfodol er diogelu cynefinoedd naturiol, felly mae gallu eu gwneud yn y swyddfa - ac osgoi gorfod mynd adref i ddefnyddio band eang - yn help mawr.”

“Fel corff, mae hefyd yn bwysig galluogi ein tîm - sy’n aml ar hyd a lled y gogledd - i gyfathrebu’n effeithiol er mwyn cydweithredu. Mae band eang ffeibr wedi hwyluso hynny ac rydym mor falch o’r drefn newydd.”

Er mwyn cysylltu’r safle roedd rhaid i beirianwyr Openreach osod 13 cilomedr o ffeibr o gyfnewidfa Cei Connah i swyddfa Maeshafn, gan gysylltu bron 100 cartref neu fusnes ar y ffordd â gwasanaeth yn cymharu â’r mwyaf cyflym a dibynadwy yn Ewrop.

Dywedodd Andy Whale, prif beiriannydd Openreach: “Mae cynefinoedd natur angen rhwydweithiau er mwyn cadw mewn cysylltiad yn yr un modd â phobl.”

“Mae ein gwaith i gysylltu’r Ymddiriedolaeth yn dangos pa mor bwysig yw band eang cyflym a dibynadwy i bawb ac rwy’n falch ein bod wedi llwyddo i gysylltu swyddfa Maeshafn a hefyd nifer o gartrefi a busnesau yn yr ardal gyfagos.”

Mae Openreach yn chwarae rôl bwysig iawn yng Nghymru, gyda dros 2,500 o’n pobl yn byw a gweithio yma. Mae ymchwil diweddar gan Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) wedi tanlinellu’r buddion economaidd o gysylltu pawb yng Nghymru â’r rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn. Amcangyfrifir byddai’n creu hwb gwerth £2 biliwn i economi’r wlad.

Yng Nghymru mae dros 320,000 cartref a busnes eisoes yn gallu archebu band eang ffeibr cyflawn cyflym a dibynadwy.

Diweddarwyd cynllun y cwmni ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig er mwyn helpu Llywodraeth San Steffan i gyrraedd y targed o ddarparu band eang gigabeit ar gyfer 85% o’r wlad erbyn 2025.

Fel rhan o’r cynllun ehangach, bydd Openreach yn buddsoddi £15 biliwn wrth ledu ei dechnoleg ffeibr cyflawn i 25 miliwn cartref a busnes ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig, yn cynnwys dros chwe miliwn yn yr ardaloedd mwyaf anodd eu cyrraedd erbyn diwedd 2026.

Yn ddiweddar, gwnaeth y cwmni nifer o gyhoeddiadau am ei gynlluniau adeiladu, gan ychwanegu 415,000 cartref a busnes - mewn 140 ardal wledig a lleoliadau eraill anodd eu cyrraedd ar draws pob ardal awdurdod lleol - at y cynllun. Yn ogystal, mae’r cwmni yn gweithio mewn partneriaeth â Llywodraeth Cymru er cyrraedd 5% olaf y wlad.

DIWEDD