Welsh Government announces more fibre broadband build in rural Wales

More homes and businesses are set to benefit from the Welsh Government’s fast fibre broadband build in partnership with Openreach, Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters, announced today.

The vast majority of homes and businesses in Wales – 95 per cent – already have access to superfast broadband, following the completion of Superfast Cymru.

As part of a package of measures to reach the remaining premises, the Welsh Government has an agreement with Openreach which will now increase from 26,000 premises to 39,000. The extension will be funded by £30m from the Welsh Government and European Union with additional investment from Openreach.

The extension to the project will target local authority areas with less than 90 per cent superfast broadband coverage. This will help strike a better balance of coverage across those communities in Wales. All of the premises will have Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) broadband capable of providing some of the fastest most reliable broadband available.

Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport Lee Waters said: “The covid-19 outbreak has brought into sharp relief the importance of fast and reliable broadband. While the vast majority of premises in Wales have access to superfast broadband, thanks to the earlier Welsh Government intervention through Superfast Cymru, we know we need to reach the final premises without access.

“The fibre rollout is part of a package of measures to do just that. The 39,000 premises to benefit from this will have future proofed fibre to the premises which provides some of the fastest broadband speeds possible. The additional premises I’m announcing today are in areas where coverage is below 90 per cent, so we can make the biggest difference.

“Fibre rollout is not the solution for every premises without access to superfast broadband, which is why we have a number of other schemes including the Access Broadband Cymru scheme, the Local Broadband Fund and the Welsh top-up to the UK Government Rural Gigabit Voucher scheme.

“While broadband is not devolved, we are determined to take action where we can to improve connectivity across all parts of Wales.”

Connie Dixon, Partnership Director for Openreach in Wales, said: “We’re delighted to be able to build our next-generation full fibre network even further across rural Wales as a result of this extension.”

“The Corona virus lockdown has reminded everyone that having a decent broadband connection is more important than ever for both businesses and homes – no matter where you live or work.

“So we’re excited to be able to build on the success of our existing partnership with the Welsh Government. Despite the impact of the pandemic, our key worker engineers have continued to build and maintain our network across Wales and have already connected more than 8,000 homes and businesses with full fibre all the way from the exchange to their property – bringing with it access to among the fastest and most reliable broadband connections in both the UK and Europe.”

The project is scheduled to be completed by June 2022.

Llywodraeth Cymru yn ymestyn y cynllun ffibr cyflym iawn

Mae mwy o gartrefi a busnesau i elwa o gyflwyno band eang cyflym iawn Llywodraeth Cymru mewn partneriaeth ag Openreach, meddai Lee Waters, Dirprwy Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth heddiw. 

Mae mwyafrif helaeth y cartrefi a’r busnesau yng Nghymru – 95 y cant – eisoes wedi cael mynediad at fand eang cyflym iawn, yn dilyn cwblhau y cynllun Cyflymu Cymru. 

Fel rhan o becyn o fesurau i gyrraedd yr adeiladau sy’n weddill, mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru gytundeb gydag Openreach fydd bellach yn cynyddu o 26,000 o adeiladau i 39,000. Bydd yr estyniad yn cael ei ariannu gan £30 miliwn o Lywodraeth Cymru a’r Undeb Ewropeaidd, gyda buddsoddiad ychwanegol gan Openreach.

Bydd ymestyn y prosiect yn targedu ardaloedd yr awdurdod lleol sydd â llai na 90 y cant o fynediad at fand eang cyflym iawn. Bydd hyn yn helpu i sicrhau cydbwysedd gwell o ran band eang cyflym iawn ar draws yr awdurdodau lleol yng Nghymru, ac yn rhoi mynediad at y band eang cyflymaf, mwyaf dibynadwy sydd ar gael i fwy o gartrefi a busnesau.

Bydd gan pob adeilad fand eang cyflym iawn Cysylltiad Ffibr i’r Adeilad. 

Meddai Lee Waters, Dirprwy Weinidog yr Economi a Thrafnidiaeth: “Mae Covid-19 wedi dangos yn amlwg bwysigrwydd band eang cyflym a dibynadwy. Er bod gan fwyafrif yr adeiladau yng Nghymru fynediad at fand eang cyflym iawn, diolch i ymryrraeth flaenorol drwy gynllun Cyflymu Cymru, rydym yn gwybod bod yn rhaid inni gyrraedd yr adeiladau olaf sydd heb fynediad. 

“Mae’r cynllun ffeibr yn rhan o becyn o fesurau sy’n gwneud hynny. Bydd y 39,000 o adeiladau sydd i elwa o hyn yn derbyn ffibr sydd wedi’i ddiogelu at y dyfodol i’r adeiladau sy’n cynnig y cyflymder band eang cyflymaf posibl. Bydd yr adeiladau ychwanegol yr wyf yn eu cyhoeddi heddiw yn yr ardaloedd ble y mae llai na 90 y cant yn derbyn band eang, fel y gallwn wneud y gwahaniaeth mwyaf posibl. 

“Nid y cynllun ffibr yw’r ateb i bob adeilad sydd heb fynediad at fand eang cyflym iawn, a dyna pam fod gennym nifer o gynlluniau eraill gan gynnwys y cynllun Allwedd Band Eang Cymru, y Gronfa Band Eang Lleol a chynllun ychwanegu Cymru at gynllun Talebau Gigabit Gwledig Llywodraeth y DU. 

“Er nad yw band eang wedi’i ddatganoli, rydym yn benderfynol o weithredu ble y gallwn i wella cysylltedd ar draws pob rhan o Gymru.” 

Meddai Connie Dixon, Cyfarwyddwr Partneriaeth Openreach yng Nghymru “Rydyn ni’n falch iawn o allu adeiladu rhwydwaith ffibr llawn y genhedlaeth nesaf hyd yn oed ymhellach ar draws y Gymru wledig o ganlyniad i’r estyniad hwn. 

“Mae cyfnod cloi y coronafeirws wedi atgoffa pawb fod cael cysylltiad band eang da yn bwysicach nag erioed i fusnesau a chartrefi – waeth ble rydych yn byw neu yn gweithio.

“Felly rydym yn falch iawn o allu adeiladu ar lwyddiant ein partneriaeth bresennol gyda Llywodraeth Cymru. Er gwaethaf effaith y pandemig, mae ein peirianwyr sy’n weithwyr allweddol wedi parhau i adeiladu a chynnal ein rhwydwaith ledled Cymru ac eisoes wedi cysylltu mwy na 8,000 o gartrefi a busnesau gyda ffeibr llawn yr holl ffordd o’r gyfnewidfa i’w heiddo – gan ddod â mynediad at y cysylltiad band eang cyflymaf a mwyaf dibynadwy yn y DU ac Ewrop.”

Y bwriad yw cwblhau’r prosiect erbyn Mehefin 2022.