29
July
2020
|
15:42
Europe/Amsterdam

Wales to benefit in Openreach’s largest ever ‘hard to reach’ full fibre build

Aberystwyth, Llanelli, Pwllheli, Abergavenny and Bangor among 45 Welsh towns and villages set to benefit (Gweler Cymraeg isod / Welsh available below)

Openreach today outlined plans to make ultra-reliable and gigabit-capable full fibre broadband available to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in 45 market towns and villages across Wales. 

The new locations, including Aberystwyth, Llanelli, Abergavenny and Bangor will be upgraded by Openreach, without taxpayer subsidy and it’s hoped having access to some of the fastest broadband speeds in Europe will boost their post-Covid economic recovery.

Work is expected to get underway in many of the announced locations within the next 12-18 months, although due to the size of the build, some places will see work continue into 2024.The new Welsh locations are part of a wider announcement to make the new technology available to a further 3.2 million premises in the UK’s hardest to reach ‘final third’. i

This follows the recent announcement that Welsh Government is to extend its BDUK contract with Openreach to build fibre broadband to those local authority areas with less than 90 per cent superfast broadband coverage.

The build is at the forefront of a massive £12 billion investment, which will see Openreach’s ambition to build ‘Full Fibre’ iv infrastructure to 20 million premises throughout the UK by the mid-to-late 2020s – delivering significant economic, social and environmental benefits for rural and urban communities, assuming the right regulatory and political fibre enablers are in place.

Connie Dixon, Openreach’s Partnership Director for Wales, said: “We’ve already upgraded tens of thousands of homes and business across Wales to full fibre. As well as keeping the existing network running throughout the Covid crisis, our engineers have safely and with social distancing in place, continued building the new infrastructure to make sure that as lockdown restrictions ease, our network is there to support families, businesses and the economic recovery.

I’d encourage everyone to check if they can switch to the new technology, and if you can, get in touch with your broadband provider to find out more about the many benefits. Full fibre’ is more reliable and more resilient meaning fewer faults and more predictable, consistent speeds. It is also ‘future-proof’ to easily meet the growing data demands of future technologies.”

There are clear economic benefits to building full fibre in more rural areas. In a report by the Centre for Economics & Business Research (Cebr) – Full fibre broadband: A platform for growth” - commissioned by Openreach last year, revealed that connecting everyone in Wales to ‘full fibre’ broadband by 2025 would create nearly a £2 billion boost to the Welsh economy.

The report also revealed that 25,000 people in Wales could be brought back into the workforce through enhanced connectivity. This could include roles within small businesses and entrepreneurs – as well as allowing thousands more people to work remote by unlocking smarter ways of working, better public services and greater opportunities for the next-generation of home-grown businesses.

Openreach CEO, Clive Selley, said: “This year we’ve all seen the importance of having a decent broadband connection and at Openreach, we’re convinced that Full Fibre technology can underpin the UK’s economic recovery.

“Right now, we’re building a new, ultra-reliable full-fibre network that will boost productivity, cut commuting and carbon emissions, and connect our families, public services and businesses for decades to come. It’s Ofcom’s proposals that give us the right conditions to build commercially in hardest to reach areas.

 “We’re determined to find inventive engineering solutions and effective partnership funding models to reduce costs and enable us to connect as many communities as possible across the UK without public subsidy.

“Openreach is leading the charge to help UK Government achieve its target of making gigabit capable networks available nationwide by 2025. And we hope that by publishing our own plans, we can help ensure that taxpayers only fund connections in communities that really need public support.”

Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters said: “While over 95 per cent of premises in Wales can now access superfast broadband we know there is more to do to reach the final premises. We have recently announced an extension to our roll-out with Openreach, focussing on local authority areas with less than 90 per cent coverage. This is alongside our other schemes to fund connectivity solutions for those not in any future roll-out plans. I welcome this announcement by Openreach which will further increase the number of premises which will be able to access full fibre, which has the potential to provide some of the fastest speeds available.”

Openreach has already built Full Fibre technology to over three million premises across the UK – including over a quarter in the final third of the country. More than 120,000 homes and businesses have also signed up to Openreach’s Community Fibre Partnership CFP programme. A CFP enables the company to work with a local community to build a customised co-funded solution and bring fibre broadband to areas not included in any existing private or publicly subsidised upgrade schemes.

The company is publishing an extended list of 251 locations in the final third where it will build the new network over the next three years. ii The data provides more clarity on its plans - giving greater certainty to local authorities, investors and customers - and supports the Government’s strategy to accelerate commercial investments in Full Fibre networks throughout the UK. To view the full list of market towns and villages included in the announcement, please visit - https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/.

People interested in seeing whether they can upgrade their broadband can see what’s available in their area by entering their postcode into our online fibre checker.

-ends-

The 45 new locations being announced across Wales are (exchange area in italic):

Ceredigion

Aberystwyth

Carmarthenshire

  • Llanelli, Swiss Valley, Dafen

Powys

  • Welshpool

Gwynedd

  • Bangor, Penrhos, Garnedd
  • Caernarfon, Caeathro, Llanrug
  • Pwllheli

Flintshire

  • Connah’s Quay
  • Buckley

Conwy

  • Conwy, Deganwy, Tywyn
  • Colwyn Bay
  • Llandudno

Wrexham

  • Rhosllanerchrugog

Denbighshire

  • Rhuddlan
  • Rhyl, Kinmel Bay

Rhondda Cynon Taf

  • Abercynon
  • Ferndale, Tylorstown, Wattstown
  • Mountain Ash, Abercwmboi
  • Llantwit Fardre, Beddau, Church Village, Tonteg
  • Llantrisant, Pontyclun, Llanharan, Miskin

Caerphilly

  • Caerphilly, Bedwas, Llanbradach
  • Cross Keys
  • Rhymney

Monmouthshire

  • Abergavenny

Blaenau Gwent

  • Brynmawr
  • Cwm

 

Cymru yn elwa o rhaglen ffeibr cyflawn mwyaf erioed ar gyfer ardaloedd ‘anodd eu cyrraedd’

Cannoedd o filoedd o gartrefi a busnesau mewn mwy na 45 o bentrefi, trefi marchnad ac ardaloedd gwledig ar draws Cymru i elwa

Heddiw cyhoeddodd Openreach gynlluniau i ddarparu band eang ffeibr cyflawn (gwasanaeth gigabeit dibynadwy) ar gyfer cannoedd o filoedd o gartrefi a busnesau mewn 45 o bentrefi a threfi marchnad ar draws y wlad.

Bydd Openreach yn uwchraddio’r lleoliadau newydd, yn cynnwys Aberystwyth, y Fenni, Bangor ac Aberpennar, heb gymorth arian trethdalwyr gyda’r nod o symbylu adferiad economaidd ardaloedd ar ôl y pandemig wrth gynnig gwasanaethau band eang i’w cymharu â’r cyflymaf yn Ewrop.

Rhagwelir dechrau’r gwaith mewn llawer o’r lleoliadau o fewn y 12-18 mis nesaf, ond oherwydd maint y rhaglen, bydd rhai lleoliadau’n destun gwaith tan 2024. Mae’r lleoliadau Cymreig newydd yn rhan o gyhoeddiad ehangach er darparu’r dechnoleg newydd ar gyfer 3.2 miliwn cartref/busnes ychwanegol o fewn 33% olaf ardaloedd anodd eu cyrraedd y Deyrnas Unedig. i

Mae’n dilyn datganiad diweddar Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymestyn ei gontract BDUK gydag Openreach er mwyn lledu band eang ffeibr i ardaloedd gyda darpariaeth band eang uwchgyflym is na 90%.

Mae’r gwaith yn rhan o fuddsoddiad enfawr gwerth £12 biliwn fydd yn gwireddu nod Openreach o adeiladu rhwydwaith ‘ffeibr cyflawn’ iv i wasanaethu 20 miliwn adeilad ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig erbyn diwedd y 2020au - gan ddarparu buddion economaidd, cymdeithasol ac amgylcheddol ar gyfer cymunedau trefol a gwledig, o dderbyn yr amodau rheoleiddiol a gwleidyddol angenrheidiol.

Dywedodd Connie Dixon, cyfarwyddwraig partneriaethau Cymru Openreach: “Rydym eisoes wedi uwchraddio degau o filoedd o gartrefi a busnesau ar draws y wlad i ffeibr cyflawn. Yn ogystal â chynnal cysylltiadau cwsmeriaid â’n rhwydwaith cyfredol yn ystod argyfwng Covid, mae ein peirianwyr wedi parhau i adeiladu’r seilwaith newydd yn ddiogel wrth ddilyn rheolau pellter cymdeithasol er mwyn sicrhau byddwn yn gallu cefnogi teuluoedd, busnesau a’r adfywiad economaidd pan fydd y Llywodraeth yn rhyddhau’r cyfyngiadau.

“Rwy’n argymell pawb sy’n gallu gwneud hynny i uwchraddio i’r dechnoleg newydd a bachu ar y cyfleoedd. Mae ffeibr cyflawn yn fwy cyflym a dibynadwy, sy’n golygu llai o namau a gwasanaethau cyflym a chyson. Bydd hefyd yn barod ar gyfer y dyfodol wrth ddiwallu gofynion data am ddegawdau i ddod.”

Mae buddion economaidd clir o adeiladu ffeibr cyflawn mewn mwy o ardaloedd gwledig. Datgelodd adroddiad gan Centre for Economics & Business Research (Cebr) - Full fibre broadband: A platform for growth” - a gomisiynwyd gan Openreach y llynedd, y gallai cysylltu pawb yng Nghymru â band eang ‘ffeibr cyflawn’ erbyn 2025 roi hwb gwerth bron £2 biliwn i economi Cymru.

Yn ogystal, datgelodd yr adroddiad y gellid croesawu 25,000 o bobl ar draws y wlad yn ôl i’r gweithlu wrth wella cysylltiadau cyfathrebu. Gallai gynnwys rolau o fewn busnesau bach a mentrau entrepreneuraidd - ynghyd â galluogi miloedd o bobl i weithio gartref wrth ddefnyddio dulliau gweithio craff, gwella gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a chreu cyfleoedd ar gyfer y genhedlaeth nesaf o fusnesau.

Dywedodd prif weithredwr Openreach, Clive Selley: “Eleni mae pob un ohonom wedi gweld pa mor bwysig yw cael cysylltiad band eang cyflym a dibynadwy ac mae Openreach yn argyhoeddedig y gallai technoleg ffeibr cyflawn symbylu adferiad economaidd y Deyrnas Unedig.

“Erbyn hyn, rydym yn adeiladu rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn dibynadwy fydd yn hybu cynhyrchiant, gostwng teithiau cymudo ac allyriadau carbon, ac yn cysylltu ein teuluoedd, gwasanaethau cyhoeddus a busnesau am ddegawdau i ddod. Cynigion Ofcom sydd wedi darparu’r amgylchiadau iawn i adeiladu rhwydwaith masnachol i wasanaethu’r ardaloedd mwyaf anodd eu cyrraedd.

“Rydym yn benderfynol o gael hyd i atebion peirianneg arloesol a modelau cyllido partneriaethau effeithiol er mwyn cysylltu cymaint o gymunedau â phosibl ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig heb nawdd cyhoeddus.

“Openreach sy’n arwain ymdrechion i helpu Llywodraeth San Steffan i gyrraedd ei nod o ddarparu rhwydweithiau gigabeit ar draws y wlad gyfan erbyn 2025. Ac wrth gyhoeddi ein cynlluniau, ein gobaith yw sicrhau bydd trethdalwyr ond yn ariannu cysylltiadau i gymunedau sydd wir angen cymorth cyhoeddus.”

Dywedodd Dirprwy Weinidog Economi & Trafnidiaeth Cymru Lee Waters: “Er bod dros 95% o gartrefi a busnesau Cymru yn gallu cael band eang uwchgyflym erbyn hyn, rydym yn derbyn bod angen mwy o waith i gyrraedd yr adeiladau sy’n weddill. Yn ddiweddar, cyhoeddwyd estyniad o’n rhaglen gydag Openreach, gan ganolbwyntio ar ardaloedd gyda darpariaeth is na 90%. A hynny ochr yn ochr â’n cynlluniau eraill i ariannu atebion na fydd yn rhan o raglenni’r dyfodol. Rwy’n croesawu’r cyhoeddiad hwn gan Openreach fydd yn cynyddu nifer yr adeiladau fydd yn gallu cael ffeibr cyflawn, gyda’r potensial i ddarparu rhai o’r gwasanaethau cyflymaf ar gael.”

Mae Openreach eisoes wedi darparu technoleg ffeibr cyflawn ar gyfer dros 3 miliwn adeilad ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig - yn cynnwys dros chwarter ohonynt yn 33% olaf y wlad (ardaloedd anodd eu cyrraedd). Yn ogystal, mae dros 120,000 cartref a busnes wedi arwyddo ar gyfer rhaglen Partneriaethau Ffeibr Cymunedol Openreach. Partneriaethau sy’n galluogi’r cwmni i gydweithio â chymunedau lleol i ddatblygu atebion wedi’u cyllido ar y cyd a darparu band eang ffeibr mewn ardaloedd nad ydynt yn rhan o raglenni uwchraddio preifat neu gyhoeddus.

Mae’r cwmni yn cyhoeddi rhestr estynedig o 251 lleoliad sy’n rhan o’r 33% olaf anodd eu cyrraedd ble bydd yn ymestyn ei rwydwaith newydd dros y tair blynedd nesaf. ii Mae’r data yn manylu’r cynlluniau - ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol, buddsoddwyr a chwsmeriaid - ac yn cefnogi strategaeth y Llywodraeth i gynyddu buddsoddiad masnachol mewn rhwydweithiau ffeibr cyflawn ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig. Mae rhestr gyflawn o’r trefi & pentrefi a nodwyd yn y datganiad yn https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/.

Mae pobl sy’n edrych i uwchraddio eu band eang yn gallu gweld beth sydd ar gael yn eu hardal wrth nodi eu cod post yn ein gwiriwr ffeibr.

-DIWEDD-

Dyma’r 45 lleoliad newydd yng Nghymru (enwau cyfnewidfeydd mewn italig):

Sir Gâr

  • Llanelli, Swiss Valley, Dafen

Rhondda Cynon Taf

  • Abercynon
  • Ferndale (Glynrhedynog), Tylorstown (Pendyrus), Wattstown (Aberllechau)
  • Mountain Ash (Aberpennar), Abercwmboi
  • Llantwit Fardre (Llanilltud Faerdref), Beddau, Pentre’r Eglwys, Tonteg
  • Llantrisant, Pontyclun, Llanharan, Meisgyn

Caerffili

  • Caerffili, Bedwas, Llanbradach
  • Cross Keys
  • Rhymney (Rhymni)

Sir Ddinbych

  • Rhuddlan
  • Rhyl, Bae Cinmel

Sir Fynwy

  • Abergavenny (Y Fenni)

Blaenau Gwent

  • Brynmawr
  • Cwm

Ceredigion

  • Aberystwyth

Gwynedd

  • Bangor, Penrhosgarnedd
  • Caernarfon, Caeathro, Llanrug
  • Pwllheli

Conwy

  • Conwy, Deganwy, Tywyn
  • Colwyn Bay (Bae Colwyn)
  • Llandudno

Sir y Fflint

  • Connah’s Quay (Cei Connah)
  • Buckley (Bwcle)

Wrecsam

  • Rhosllannerchrugog

Powys

  • Welshpool (Y Trallwng)