Openreach urges broadband users across Wales to get winter ready!

Openreach engineers repairing storm damage

The company, which builds and maintains the UK’s largest phone and broadband network, warns there could be disruption if we see a repeat of the 2021/22 storm season, which saw six named storms hit the UK, including three in one week during February.

Since then, Openreach has been reviewing its approach to extreme weather, making sure the 2,300 engineers across the country have the best possible specialist winter kit, looking at whether the network can be re-routed in areas that have proved to be particularly vulnerable to storms in recent years and reviewing how information on any disruption is shared with communities.

The company has also pulled together some useful tips for phone and broadband users:

·       Tell your provider if you’re vulnerable: Let your phone or broadband provider - the company you pay your bill to - know if you or a family member is vulnerable (Ofcom publishes useful guidance on this], so you’ll be prioritised, wherever possible, during any repair work.

·       Prepare for an outage: Make sure your mobile phone and any spare battery packs are fully charged if you know extreme weather is approaching. It could provide you with vital access to help, online services and contact with friends and family.

·       Report damage: Outages can happen because trees or branches hit our cables and equipment. You can help us fix things faster by reporting this kind of issue directly to us online or by calling 0800 023 2023. Use a What3Words location to help us pinpoint the damage.

·       Check your power: We have backup plans in the event of local power cuts to keep our network running, but you might find it hard to connect if your own power is disrupted.

·       Consider upgrading to Full Fibre: Our Ultrafast full fibre broadband network now reaches more than 550,000 homes and businesses across Wales. As well as being faster, more reliable and future-proof, it’s also less affected by things like flooding. Check now to find out if you can upgrade.

·       More information: If phone and broadband services are disrupted, you can find out the latest information we have at openreach.com. Always report a fault to your service provider so we know there’s a problem.

As part of annual winter weather preparations, Openreach is busy stocking up on essential items so its engineers can stay safe and warm on the road, including thousands of snowshoes, snow socks for vehicle tyres, bags of salt and litres of screenwash.

The company also has a strong focus and investment in locations which have proved susceptible to storms and wild weather in recent winters. A fleet of 4x4 vehicles is strategically placed around the UK to reach isolated and extremely rural communities quickly.

Huw Jones, service delivery director for Openreach in Wales: “It’s impossible to predict exactly what kind of winter is ahead of us, but we’re doing everything we can to prepare for it.

“The most important thing to us is keeping our engineers and the public safe. Our people are out in all conditions and in some of the most rural and remote areas of Wales, whether that’s fixing and maintaining the network, or building new full fibre connections.

“Last year, Storms Arwen, Dudley, Eunice and Franklin caused more than 7,000 reports of damage across the UK to phone and broadband services in just 24 hours, with more than 750 of our poles needing to be replaced as a result.

“It presented us with an opportunity to review and make changes to our approach and I’m confident we’re in a better place heading into this winter. We’re more co-ordinated across our business and have even closer working relationship with organisations like the power companies and the Met Office.

“I’d urge anyone who’s vulnerable to let their broadband company know as this means they can be prioritised during repairs. It’s not always possible due to the way the network works, but we’ll do our best.”

Around 2,300 Openreach people live and work in Wales. This team supports a huge effort to maintain and build the country’s largest phone and broadband network.

Openreach has already made Full Fibre broadband available to more than 550,000 premises across Wales, with work already underway to reach dozens more. It’s all part of the company’s plans to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses by the end of 2026.

This short video explains what Full Fibre technology is and you can find out more about Openreach’s Ultrafast Full Fibre build here.

Openreach engineers repairing storm damage

Openreach yn annog cwsmeriaid i baratoi am y tywydd garw!

Mae Openreach, sy’n cynnal rhwydwaith ffôn a band eang mwyaf y Deyrnas Unedig, yn brysur yn paratoi ar gyfer tywydd garw iawn ac wedi cynnig cyngor defnyddiol i gartrefi a busnesau ar draws y wlad.

Y cwmni sy’n adeiladu a chynnal rhwydwaith ffôn a band eang mwyaf y Deyrnas Unedig ac mae’n rhagweld problemau os bydd stormydd tebyg i dymor gaeaf 2021/22, pan oedd y wlad yn destun chwe storm fawr, yn cynnwys tair mewn un wythnos ym mis Chwefror.

Ers hynny, mae Openreach wedi adolygu ei drefniadau mewn ymateb i dywydd garw, gan ddarparu’r dillad gaeaf gorau posibl ar gyfer y 2,300 peiriannydd ar draws y wlad, edrych i ailgyfeirio’r rhwydwaith mewn ardaloedd sydd wedi dioddef difrod storm dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf ac ailasesu sut i hysbysu cymunedau o broblemau.

Yn ogystal, mae’r cwmni wedi crynhoi cyngor ymarferol ar gyfer defnyddwyr ffonau a band eang:

·       Hysbysu eich cwmni ffôn a band eang os ydych mewn categori bregus: Hysbysu’r cwmni sy’n darparu eich bil os ydych chi neu rywun yn y teulu mewn categori bregus (Ofcom yn cynnig cyngor ymarferol ar hyn], er mwyn rhoi blaenoriaeth i chi, ble’n bosibl, yn achos gwaith trwsio.

·       Paratoi i golli gwasanaeth: Cofio gwefru eich ffôn a batris sbâr os bydd rhagolygon tywydd garw. Bydd yn cynnal eich cysylltiad â gwasanaethau cymorth ac arlein, a ffrindiau a’r teulu.

·       Hysbysu  difrod: Mae stormydd yn gallu difrodi coed, ceblau ac offer. Gallwch ein helpu i wneud gwaith trwsio prydlon wrth ein hysbysu o unrhyw broblemau arlein neu wrth alw 0800 023 2023. Bydd lleoliad What3Words hefyd yn ein helpu i dargedu’r difrod.

·       Gwirio eich cyflenwad pŵer: Mae cynlluniau gennym i gynnal y rhwydwaith os bydd problemau pŵer lleol, ond efallai bydd yn anodd i chi gynnal eich cysylltiad os bydd nam ar eich cyflenwad pŵer chi.

·       Uwchraddio i ffeibr cyflawn: Erbyn hyn mae ein rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn yn gwasanaethu dros 550,000 cartref a busnes yng Nghymru. Mae’n darparu gwasanaeth cyflym a dibynadwy, ac yn llai tebygol o ddioddef effeithiau llifogydd. Gwirio os allwch uwchraddio.

·       Manylion pellach: Os bydd nam ar wasanaethau ffôn a band eang, bydd y newyddion diweddaraf yn openreach.com. Cofiwch hysbysu eich cwmni gwasanaeth os bydd problem er mwyn i ni nodi problemau’n brydlon.

Fel rhan o’r paratoadau ar gyfer tywydd garw, bydd Openreach yn cynnal stociau eitemau hanfodol er  mwyn cadw ein peirianwyr yn saff a chynnes wrth deithio’r heolydd, yn cynnwys sgidiau eira, hosanau teiars, halen a hylif sgriniau.

Yn ogystal, mae’r cwmni wedi buddsoddi’n helaeth mewn lleoliadau sydd wedi dioddef o stormydd a thywydd garw dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, gyda fflyd o gerbydau 4x4 strategol o gwmpas y Deyrnas Unedig yn gallu cyrraedd cymunedau gwledig a diarffordd yn gyflym.

Dywedodd Huw Jones, cyfarwyddwr gwasanaeth Openreach Cymru “Mae’n amhosibl rhagweld yn union pa fath o dywydd byddwn yn derbyn, ond byddwn yn gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i baratoi.

“Y peth pwysicaf yw cadw ein peirianwyr a’r cyhoedd yn saff. Bydd ein staff yn gweithio mewn pob tywydd ac mewn rhai o’r ardaloedd mwyaf gwledig a diarffordd yng Nghymru, boed yn trwsio a chynnal y rhwydwaith, neu adeiladu cysylltiadau ffeibr newydd.

“Y llynedd, roedd stormydd Arwen, Dudley, Eunice a Franklin wedi arwain at dros 7,000 adroddiad difrod i wasanaethau ffôn a band eang ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig mewn prin 24 awr, gan ailosod dros 750 polyn ffôn o ganlyniad.

“Ond roedd hefyd yn gyfle i ni adolygu a newid ein dulliau gwaith, ac rwy’n hyderus ein bod mewn sefyllfa well wrth wynebu’r gaeaf hwn. Mae timau ar draws y busnes yn cydweithredu’n well ac wedi datblygu cysylltiadau gyda chyrff cyflenwi pŵer a’r Met Office.

“Rwy’n cymell unrhyw un sydd mewn categori bregus i hysbysu’r cwmni band eang o’u sefyllfa er mwyn blaenoriaethu gwaith trwsio. Ni fydd hynny’n bosibl ar bob amser oherwydd natur y rhwydwaith, ond byddwn yn gwneud ein gorau.”

Wrth gyflogi 2,300 yng Nghymru, mae Openreach eisoes yn cynnal y tîm mwyaf o beirianwyr a gweithwyr cysylltiedig yn y wlad.

Mae Openreach eisoes wedi gwneud trefniadau i ddarparu band eang ffeibr cyflawn ar gyfer dros 550,000 cartref a busnes drwy Gymru, gyda gwaith ar y gweill i gyrraedd llawer mwy. Sef, rhan o gynlluniau’r cwmni i gyrraedd 25 miliwn cartref a busnes ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig erbyn diwedd 2026.

Fideo byr yn esbonio technoleg ffeibr cyflawn a gallwch ddysgu mwy am ein rhaglen Ffeibr Gyntaf, ein darpariaethau diweddaraf a’n cynlluniau lleol yma.