Welsh Affairs Committee praise Openreach on bridging digital divide
Welsh Affairs Committee see for themselves how Openreach is super-charging Welsh connectivity (Fersiwn Cymraeg i ddilyn / Welsh language version to follow)
Members of the Welsh Affairs Committee recently took a visit to Openreach’s state-of-the-art National Learning Centre for Wales to witness first-hand how the UK’s largest digital infrastructure builder is bringing ultrafast full fibre broadband to Wales.
Committee Chair, Stephen Crabb MP, along with Ruth Jones MP, Ben Lake MP and Rob Roberts MP took a tour of the multi-million pound learning centre in Newport to better understand how Openreach is training and re-skilling its engineers to build its ultrafast network.
Opened by Welsh Government First Minister, Mark Drakeford, in 2021 the centre enables engineers to experience a typical working day - from laying cables to building joints and making repairs, working underground or climbing telephone poles and installing new services inside customers’ homes and businesses.
With a replica street, built from scratch, to recreate the real network in the outside world up to 10,000 new and existing Openreach engineers from across Wales, as well as further afield, train at the Newport centre during a typical year
During their visit committee members were able to experience some of the training that Openreach engineers go through in addition to trying their hand at splicing fibre (where two ends of fibre optic glass cable are fused together).
Committee Chair, Stephen Crabb MP, said: “It’s been both interesting and re-assuring to see the emphasis that Openreach place on not only the ongoing learning and development of its engineers but also how health and safety underpins everything it does.
“Having fast, reliable broadband is important no matter where you live and I’d like to congratulate Openreach on the energy and investment it’s ploughing in to its ultrafast network across Wales which is bridging the digital divide.
“I look forward to seeing even more progress being made so that even more can have the best access to digital services for employment, education and entertainment, as soon as possible.”
Hosting the visit, Openreach Wales Board Chair, Kim Mears said: “It’s been an absolute pleasure to show the members of the Welsh Affairs Committee around our learning school in Newport.
“We’re incredibly proud that nobody is doing more than our hard working engineers to bring ultrafast broadband to Wales and the incredible benefits that come with it.
It was recently announced that more than 700,000 homes and businesses across Wales can already order some of the fastest, most reliable broadband in Europe thanks to a £210 million(1) investment by Openreach.
And more areas are set to benefit, as engineers are now starting work to extend the full fibre network even further to most homes and businesses in areas such as Pencoed, Porthmadog, Criccieth and Llangennech.
This milestone, that’s seen more than 200,000 Welsh properties gaining access to ultrafast broadband over 12 months, demonstrates Openreach's commitment to narrowing the digital divide and ensuring that communities throughout Wales have access to cutting-edge internet infrastructure.
Full fibre is up to 16 times faster than the average UK broadband connection and around five times more reliable than the old copper-based network it’s replacing.
About Openreach in 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.
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