Powys powers up with £12million boost for ultrafast broadband
Fay Jones MP takes a tour of the ultrafast full fibre network that's keeping Powys connected (Gweler fersiwn Cymraeg isod / Please see Welsh language version below)
Fay Jones MP recently joined up with some of the Openreach engineers that have been busy building a new Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband network across her Brecon and Radnorshire constituency.
She was given a tour of the work, which is making faster and more reliable ‘full fibre’ broadband available to homes and businesses in the local area. Nearly 40% of premises across Powys can already benefit from Openreach’s investment which when complete will total around £12.4 million* and bring some of the fastest and most reliable broadband speeds to the area.
The tour started with a quick visit to the telephone exchange in Builth Wells.
At the exchange the MP was able to see up close the art of fibre splicing – where two ends of fibre optic glass cable no wider than a human hair are fused together. This delicate piece of engineering plays a vital role in Openreach’s Full Fibre network that’s already connected more than 11m properties across the UK.
After the Builth Wells exchange it was a short journey through the town to see the ‘final stage’ of the Openreach Full Fibre network and to talk to local engineers that are delivering this game changing technology to communities across Powys.
With this investment, residents and businesses in Powys can expect improved connectivity, reduced latency, and the ability to utilize bandwidth-intensive applications and services. Ultrafast broadband can also attract new businesses, promote economic growth, and enhance digital inclusion by providing equal opportunities for education, employment, and innovation.
Fay Jones MP said: “Good connectivity is essential for my constituents so it’s welcome to see the investment Openreach are making to our communities.
“It was great to see first-hand the technology that’s being used by Openreach and residents and businesses they will really benefit from this increase in broadband speed and improved reliability.
“Full fibre broadband is revolutionising the way we all live and work and it’s imperative that Brecon & Radnorshire is not left behind."
The visit was hosted by Martin Williams, Partnership Director for Wales, who said: “We welcomed the opportunity to give Fay an overview of our ultrafast network.
Our investment across Powys demonstrates Openreach’s commitment to improving digital infrastructure and bridging the digital divide.
Our engineers work hard every day to keep communities across Powys and the rest of Wales connected, and it was great to be able to share the challenges and realities of delivering this technology.
“I would urge everyone in the local area to keep an eye on the build locally to see when full fibre is available to them. They can visit the Openreach fibre checker, which is regularly updated with our build progress and when full fibre is available in specific areas.”
Openreach is leading the full fibre charge in Wales to build an ultrafast network that is faster, better and more affordable than ever.
With download speeds of 1 Gbps, it’s up to 10 times faster than the average home broadband connection. That means faster game downloads, better quality video calls and higher resolution movie streaming.
You can also use multiple devices at once without experiencing slowdown – so more people in your household can get online at once. Even if the rest of your family are making video calls, streaming box sets or gaming online, all at the same time – you won’t experience stuttering, buffering or dropouts.
Full fibre is also less affected by peak time congestion – so you can enjoy your Saturday night blockbuster in 4K without the dreaded buffering screen.
About Openreach in Wales
Openreach is on track to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses with access to Full Fibre ultrafast broadband and has already reached more than 700,000 properties across Wales.
With a workforce of around 2,300 in Wales, Openreach already employs the nation’s largest team of telecoms engineers and professionals.
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 Welsh economy.
This short video explains what Full Fibre technology is and you can find out more about our Fibre First programme, latest availability and local plans here.
*Investment figure based on an average build cost of £300 per premises.
Openreach i wario £12 miliwn wrth ddapraru band eang ffeibr cyflawn ar draws Powys
Yn ddiweddar, ymwelodd Fay Jones AS â rhai o beirianwyr Openreach sy’n brysur yn adeiladu rhwydwaith band eang ffeibr cyflawn ar draws etholaeth Brycheiniog a Sir Faesyfed.
Gwelodd y gwaith i ddarparu band eang ffeibr cyflawn cyflym a dibynadwy ar gyfer cartrefi a busnesau lleol. Mae oddeutu 40% o adeiladau ar draws Sir Powys eisoes wedi elwa o fuddsoddiad Openreach, fydd yn dringo i oddeutu £12.4 miliwn ar ôl ei gwblhau ac yn darparu gwasanaeth band eang ymhlith y cyflymaf yn y wlad ar draws yr ardal.
Dechreuodd ei ymweliad yng nghyfnewidfa ffôn Llanfair-ym-Muallt.
Yn y gyfnewidfa, cafodd yr Aelod Seneddol gyfle i brofi gwaith sbleisio ffeibr - wrth ffiwsio dau gebl ffeibr optig â’i gilydd. Mae’r gwaith peirianneg yma’n elfen allweddol o rwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn Openreach sydd eisoes wedi cysylltu dros 11 miliwn adeilad ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig.
Wedi hynny, ymwelodd â cymal olaf rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn Openreach yn y dref a siarad gyda rhai o’r peirianwyr sy’n lledu’r dechnoleg i gymunedau Powys.
Yn dilyn y buddsoddiad, bydd trigolion a busnesau Powys yn gallu edrych ymlaen at gael gwasanaethau fydd yn dapraru cysylltedd gwell a dim oedi wrth drosglwyddo data, a’r gallu i ddefnyddio adnoddau sy’n galw am wasanaeth ystod eang. Bydd band eang tra-chyflym hefyd yn helpu i ddenu busnesau newydd, hyrwyddo tyfiant economaidd a gwella cynhwysiad digidol wrth gynnig cyfleoedd cyfartal ym meysydd addysg, gwaith ac arloesi.
Dywedodd Fay Jones AS: “Mae cysylltedd da yn hanfodol i'm hetholwyr felly mae'n dda gweld y buddsoddiad y mae Openreach yn ei wneud i'n cymunedau.
"Roedd yn wych gweld y dechnoleg sy'n cael ei defnyddio gan Openreach bydd yn galluogi trigolion a busnesau lleol i elwa'n fawr o'r cynnydd mewn cyflymder band eang a gwell dibynadwyedd.
“Mae band eang ffeibr cyflawn yn chwyldroi'r ffordd yr ydym i gyd yn byw ac yn gweithio ac mae'n hanfodol nad yw Brycheiniog a Sir Maesyfed yn cael ei adael ar ôl.”
Trefnwyd yr ymweliad gan Martin Williams, Cyfarwyddwr Partneriaethau Cymru Openreach, a ddywedodd: “Roedd yn bleser cael cyfle i roi amlinelliad o’n rhwydwaith tra-chyflym i Fay. Mae ein buddsoddiad yn yr ardal yn dangos ymroddiad Openreach i wella seilwaith digidol a phontio’r bwlch digidol. Bydd ein peirianwyr yn gweithio’n galed bob dydd i gadw cymunedau Powys a gweddill y wlad mewn cysylltiad, ac roedd yn dda cael rhannu’r heriau o ddarparu’r dechnoleg.
“Rwy’n cymell pawb yn yr ardal i gadw golwg ar y gwaith adeiladu er mwyn gweld pan fydd ffeibr cyflawn ar gael iddynt. Bydd Openreach fibre checker yn eu hysbysu o ddatblygiad y gwaith a phryd bydd ffeibr cyflawn ar gael iddynt.”
Openreach sy’n arwain y gwaith i ddarparu ffeibr cyflawn yng Nghymru, gan adeiladu rhwydwaith tra-chyflym fydd yn fwy cyflym, dibynadwy a fforddiadwy nag erioed.
Wrth lwytho data ar gyflymder hyd at 1 Gbps, mae oddeutu 10 gwaith yn gyflymach na chysylltiad band eang cartref cyfartalog. Bydd hynny’n golygu llwytho gemau’n gyflymach, galwadau fideo safon uwch a ffrydio ffilmiau HD.
Gallwch hefyd ddefnyddio sawl dyfais ar yr un pryd heb wynebu unrhyw oedi - felly bydd mwy o bobl yn y cartref yn gallu mynd arlein ar yr un pryd. Hyd yn oed os bydd gweddill y teulu’n gwneud galwadau fideo, ffrydio cyfresi teledu neu chwarae gemau arlein, ar yr un pryd - ni fyddant yn wynebu oedi, byffro neu golled signal.
Yn ogystal, mae ffeibr cyflawn yn llai tebygol o ddioddef tagfeydd amserau brig - felly gallwch fwynhau ffilm fawr nos Sadwrn mewn 4K heb weld y sgrin byffro ofnadwy!
Am Openreach Cymru
Mae Openreach yn dilyn ei raglen i gyrraedd 25 miliwn cartref a busnes yn y Deyrnas Unedig gyda band eang ffeibr cyflawn erbyn diwedd 2026 ac eisoes wedi cyrraedd dros 700,000 yng Nghymru.
Gyda gweithlu o oddeutu 2,300 yng Nghymru, mae Openreach eisoes yn cyflogi tîm peirianwyr a gweithwyr cysylltiedig mwyaf y genedl.
Ymchwil diweddar gan CEBR (Centre for Economics and Business Research) wedi tanlinellu’r buddion economaidd clir o gysylltu pawb yng Nghymru â ffeibr cyflawn. Amcangyfrifwyd byddai’n rhoi hwb gwerth £2 biliwn i economi Cymru.
Dyma fideo byr yn esbonio technoleg ffeibr cyflawn a gallwch ddysgu mwy am ein rhaglen Ffeibr Gyntaf, ein darpariaethau diweddaraf a’n cynlluniau lleol yma.
