Ultrafast fibre broadband wings its way to Wrexham

It would appear that Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney aren’t the only investors in Wrexham as Openreach – the largest network provider in Wales and the rest of UK - announced it is to build its full fibre network in the town.

Wrexham has enjoyed considerable media attention ever since the famous duo took ownership of Wrexham FC and in further good news for its residents the town will have access to some of the fastest and most reliable broadband speeds in Europe.

People living and working in Wrexham will soon be able to download the latest Ryan Reynolds blockbuster movie in seconds thanks to Openreach’s national upgrade plan, with premises gaining access to the latest ultrafast, ultra-reliable Full Fibre broadband.

Work will take place between now and 2026 and more details of the full list of locations and timescales to benefit from today’s announcement – including Monmouthshire, Vale of Glamorgan, Newport and Cardiff are published on Openreach’s website. 

The news comes hot on the heels of a similar announcement last month, when 415,000 homes and businesses - in 140 mainly rural and harder to serve areas across every single Welsh local authority area - were also included in the build plan. The company is also working in partnership with Welsh Government to reach those that are in the final 5%.

Both announcements build on Openreach’s existing work in Wales, where more than 320,000 homes and businesses can already order ultrafast, ultra-reliable full fibre broadband.

Earlier this week is was also announced that Bodelwyddan based CommsScope will be recruiting 30-50 manufacturing engineers in the area after it secured a contract to provide innovative new technology to Openreach as it ramps up its full fibre network.

Connie Dixon, Openreach’s regional director for Wales, said: “Nobody in Wales or the rest of the UK is building full fibre faster, further or at a higher quality than Openreach. We’re reaching more communities than ever and our team of highly-skilled engineers, are working hard to deliver some of the fastest and most reliable broadband available anywhere in the world.

“Just last month we announced 140 rural and hard to reach locations across Wales were to benefit, so it’s great that we’re able to reveal another huge broadband boost for the country with Wrexham and these additional locations.

“The latest details and timescales are available on our website as the build planning progresses.”

The company’s updated build plan will be fundamental to the UK Government achieving its target of delivering ‘gigabit capable’ broadband to 85 per cent of UK by 2025 and it follows an extended investment commitment by its parent, BT Group – which means Openreach will now build Full Fibre technology to a total of 25 million premises, including more than six million in the hardest-to-serve parts of the country by the end of 2026.

Openreach is already building Full Fibre faster, at lower cost and higher quality than anyone else in the UK, having made the technology available to more than 5 million homes and business so far.

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.

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.

Band eang ffeibr tra chyflym yn gwibio'i ffordd i Wrecsam

Nid sêr Hollywood Ryan Reynolds a Rob McElhenney yw’r unig fuddsoddwyr yn ardal Wrecsam erbyn hyn, oherwydd mae Openreach - cwmni rhwydwaith mwyaf Cymru a'r Deyrnas Unedig - wedi cyhoeddi ei fod am adeiladu rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn yn y dref.

Mae Wrecsam wedi denu llawer o sylw ar y cyfryngau ers i’r ddau actor brynu clwb pêl-droed Wrecsam a’r newyddion diweddaraf i drigolion y dref yw byddant yn derbyn rhwydwaith band eang yn cymharu â’r cyflymaf yn Ewrop.

Cyn bo hir bydd pobl yn byw a gweithio yn Wrecsam yn gallu llwytho ffilm ddiweddaraf Ryan Reynolds mewn eiliadau, diolch i gynllun buddsoddi cenedlaethol Openreach, fydd yn darparu band eang ffeibr tra chyflym a dibynadwy.

Bwriedir dechrau’r gwaith yn fuan a’i gwblhau erbyn 2026, ac mae manylion pellach a rhestr gyflawn o’r lleoliadau i elwa o’r cyhoeddiad ar wefan Openreach - yn cynnwys sir Fynwy, Bro Morgannwg, Casnewydd a Chaerdydd. 

Daw’r newyddion yn fuan ar ôl cyhoeddiad tebyg ym mis Mai, pan ychwanegwyd 415,000 cartref a busnes - mewn 140 ardal wledig a lleoliadau erail 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.

Mae’r ddau gyhoeddiad yn adeiladu ar waith estynedig Openreach yng Nghymru, ble mae dros 320,000 cartref a busnes eisoes yn gallu archebu band eang ffeibr cyflawn tra chyflym a dibynadwy.

Yn gynharach yr wythnos hon, cyhoeddodd Openreach bydd cwmni CommsScope, Bodelwyddan, yn recriwtio 30-50 peiriannydd yn yr ardal ar ôl ennill contract i ddarparu technoleg newydd arloesol ar gyfer Openreach er mwyn datblygu ei rwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn.

Dywedodd Connie Dixon, cyfarwyddwraig rhanbarthol Cymru, Openreach: “Nid oes unrhyw gwmni yng Nghymru a gweddill y Deyrnas Unedig yn adeiladu rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn yn gyflymach, ymhellach neu o’r un safon ag Openreach. Rydym yn cyrraedd mwy o gymunedau nag erioed ac mae ein tîm peirianwyr yn gweithio’n galed er darparu gwasanaethau band eang i’w cymharu â’r mwyaf cyflym a dibynadwy yn y byd.

“Fis diwethaf, cadarnhaodd ein datganiad byddai 140 ardal wledig a lleoliadau anodd eu cyrraedd ar draws y wlad yn elwa o’n buddsoddiad, felly mae’n wych gallu datgelu hwb enfawr arall i Gymru wrth ychwanegu Wrecsam a’r lleoliadau eraill hyn.

“Byddwn yn cyhoeddi’r manylion ac amserlenni diweddaraf ar ein gwefan wrth i’r rhaglen adeiladu ddatblygu.”

Bydd cynllun adeiladu diwygiedig y cwmni yn elfen sylfaenol o gyflawni addewid Llywodraeth y Deyrnas Unedig i gyrraedd y targed o ddarparu band eang ‘gigabeit’ ar gyfer 85% o’r Deyrnas Unedig erbyn 2025 ac mae’n dilyn addewid o fuddsoddiad pellach gan ein rhiant gwmni, BT Group - sy’n golygu bydd Openreach yn awr yn lledu technoleg ffeibr cyflawn i 25 miliwn cartref a busnes, yn cynnwys dros chwe miliwn yn yr ardaloedd mwyaf anodd eu cyrraedd erbyn diwedd 2026.

Mae Openreach eisoes yn adeiladu ffeibr cyflawn yn fwy cyflym, am gostau is a safon uwch nag unrhyw un arall yn y Deyrnas Unedig, gan ledu’r dechnoleg i dros 5 miliwn cartref a busnes hyd yma.

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 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.

Fideo byr yn esbonio technoleg ffeibr cyflawn, a manylion ein rhaglen ‘Fibre First’, y darpariaethau diweddaraf a chynlluniau lleol yma.