£180m Broadband Network Reaches 600,000 Across Wales

Openreach , 20th January 2023

More than 600,000 homes and businesses across Wales can already order some of the fastest, most reliable broadband in Europe thanks to a £180 million 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 Llanelli, Llandudno and Ebbw Vale.

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.

Welcoming Openreach’s investment Welsh Government Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said:

“Fast and reliable broadband is more important than ever.

“Our Digital Strategy for Wales sets out the importance of digital connectivity to homes and businesses across the country as a key utility and this welcome investment reflects the efforts of the telecommunications industry to continually improve the services available.”

Suzanne Rutherford, Chief Engineer for Openreach in Wales, said:

“Research shows that this new network will give businesses an edge and provide families and home-workers with future-proof connectivity, no matter what life throws at us next.

“Our investment across Wales continues at pace, and we’re determined to deliver a great service which helps our communities to thrive and supports people to work from home easily, keep in touch with their loved ones and build connections and opportunities.

“Gigabit-capable broadband can have a huge impact on people’s lives and it’s great for the economy, but upgrades aren’t automatic. People need to place an order with their chosen providers to get connected and we’ll do the rest. Our network offers the widest choice of providers such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Zen – which means people have lots of choice and can get a great deal.

“Even if you already have a decent enough service, it’s worth checking if you can upgrade, because full fibre is the future, and it provides the best broadband experience at great value for money. There’ll be no more worrying that your video call might freeze, or your files are failing to upload when everyone’s at home competing for bandwidth at the same time.”

In addition to Openreach’s commercial build across Wales – which is part of a £15 billion UK-wide investment – the network provider has also been working with the Welsh Government to bring Full Fibre broadband to thousands of additional homes in the very hardest to reach parts of Wales.

A report by the Centre for Economics & Business Research (Cebr) shows that connecting everyone in Wales to Full Fibre broadband would create a £2 billion boost to the local economy, by unlocking smarter ways of working, better public services and greater opportunities for the next-generation of home-grown businesses.

Openreach plans to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses by the end of 2026. This short video explains what Full Fibre technology is and you can find out more about Openreach Fibre First build programme here.

Erbyn hyn mae dros 600,000 cartref a busnes drwy Gymru yn gallu archebu band eang yn cymharu â’r cyflymaf yn Ewrop yn dilyn buddsoddiad gwerth £180 miliwn(1) gan Openreach.

A bydd mwy o ardaloedd yn ymuno â nhw, wrth i’r peirianwyr ddechrau gwaith i ymestyn y rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn ym mhellach i’r rhan helaeth o gartrefi a busnesau yn ardaloedd medis Llanelli, Llandudno ac Ebbw Vale.

Mae ffeibr cyflawn hyd at 16 gwaith yn gyflymach na chysylltiad band eang cyfartalog y Deyrnas Unedig ac oddeutu pum gwaith yn fwy dibynadwy na’r hen rwydwaith copr.

Wrth groesawu buddsoddiad Openreach, dywedodd Gweinidog Economi Llywodraeth Cymru, Vaughan Gething:

“Erbyn hyn mae cael band eang cyflym a dibynadwy yn bwysicach nag erioed.

“Mae Strategaeth Ddigidol Cymru yn pwysleisio pa mor bwysig yw cysylltedd digidol i gartrefi a busnesau ar draws y wlad ac mae’r buddsoddiad hwn yn adlewyrchu ymdrechion y diwydiant telathrebu i barhau i wella gwasanaethau.”

Dywedodd Suzanne Rutherford, prif beiriannydd Openreach Cymru:

“Yn ôl ymchwil, bydd y rhwydwaith newydd yn rhoi mantais i fusnesau ac yn diogelu cysylltedd cartrefi a gweithwyr cartref ar gyfer y dyfodol, dim ots pa heriau fydd yn codi.

“Bydd ein buddsoddiad drwy Gymru yn parhau ac rydym yn benderfynol o ddarparu gwasanaethau gwych fydd yn helpu cymunedau i ffynnu a chefnogi gweithwyr cartref, hwyluso cadw mewn cysylltiad ag anwyliaid a datblygu cysylltiadau a chyfleoedd.

“Bydd band eang gigabeit yn gallu cael effaith enfawr ar fywydau pobl ac yn hwb mawr i’r economi, ond ni fydd uwchraddio gwasanaethau’n digwydd yn otomatig. Bydd rhaid i bobl osod archeb gyda’r cwmni o’u dewis a byddwn ni’n gwneud y gweddill. Mae ein rhwydwaith yn cynnig y dewis mwyaf eang o gwmnïau gwasanaeth, fel BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone a Zen - sy’n golygu mwy o ddewis a chyfle i gael bargen.

“Hyd yn oed os yw eich gwasanaeth presennol yn dderbyniol, bydd yn werth holi os allwch uwchraddio oherwydd ffeibr cyflawn yw technoleg y dyfodol, wrth gynnig y band eang gorau am yr arian. Wrth ei gael byddwch yn osgoi problemau gyda galwadau fideo, neu fethu llwytho ffeiliau pan fydd pawb yn y cartref yn cystadlu am wasanaeth ar yr un pryd.”

Yn ogystal â gwaith masnachol Openreach yng Nghymru - sef rhan o fuddsoddiad gwerth £15 biliwn ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig - mae’r cwmni wedi cydweithio â Llywodraeth Cymru i gynnig band eang ffeibr cyflawn i filoedd o gartrefi ychwanegol mewn rhai o’r ardaloedd mwyaf anodd eu cyrraedd.

Mae ymchwil diweddar gan Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) wedi tanlinellu’r buddion economaidd o gysylltu pawb yng Nghymru â rhwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn. Amcangyfrifir byddai’n creu hwb gwerth £2 biliwn i economi’r wlad, wrth hwyluso dulliau gwaith newydd a chreu cyfleoedd ar gyfer y genhedlaeth nesaf o fusnesau cartref.

Nod Openreach yw cyrraedd 25 miliwn cartref a busnes yn y Deyrnas Unedig erbyn diwedd 2026. 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.