Openreach to Connect Yr Wyddfa Summit – The Highest Broadband Connection in the UK

Openreach , 8th December 2022

Openreach has started work to bring ultrafast, ultrareliable Full Fibre broadband to the top of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in time for next year’s summer season.

The mammoth engineering task will involve running the 1 Gigabits per second (Gbps) capable infrastructure from the nearest exchange in Llanberis all the way to the summit.

Local Openreach engineers will be working closely with the Snowdon Mountain Railway to run seven kilometres of fibre cable along the railway that carries nearly 150,000 passengers to the top of the popular tourist destination every year.

Once completed, Yr Wyddfa, located in Gwynedd and standing at 1,085 metres, will be the highest point in the UK with Full Fibre connectivity. The Snowdon Summit Café, which has remained closed since 2019 as a result of the Covid lockdown, will benefit from the improved connectivity as visitors will be able to pay for goods using contactless.

Among those local residents that have already benefited from this work are the Morris family that live in the highest house in Wales – nearly halfway up Yr Wyddfa. With little to no connectivity before ultrafast broadband was delivered by Openreach, the technology has been an early Christmas gift game-changer for the family.

L-R Eilir Owen; Morris family: Suzanne Rutherford

Eira Morris, said:

“We live off-grid and have never had a telephone landline. For 20 years we have had to stand at a window to answer mobile phone calls. Living in the heart of the National Park putting up telegraph poles for a landline was never an option, regulations here did not allow it. Having the fastest fibre optic broadband is some kind of miracle. Thanks to Openreach, the engineering team and staff members working in very challenging conditions to get it to Yr Wyddfa. We are extremely grateful for this”

It’s also hoped that the improved connectivity will play a vital role in assisting search and rescue teams that are frequently called upon to find lost or injured walkers on Yr Wyddfa. Every year more than 600,000 walkers make their way to the top of Yr Wyddfa and traditionally search and rescue teams have to rely on radio signal to communicate with one another on the mountain when searching for those that need help.

This method of radio communication can be impacted by heavy fog. When the Full Fibre infrastructure is in place on the top of the Wyddfa it’s hoped that a small 5G point will be installed that will significantly improve how search and rescue teams can communicate in the future.

The new ultrafast and reliable broadband connection will also mean that search and rescue teams will be able to access vital real-time data, such as accurate localised weather forecasts, which could help save valuable time in a rescue operation, and potentially lives.

Suzanne Rutherford, Chief Engineer for Wales, said:

“To say that bringing Full Fibre to the top of the Wyddfa is a huge task is an understatement.

“You just have to look at the sheer scale of Yr Wyddfa to appreciate how big a job this is for our engineers and that’s before you even take into consideration weather conditions.

“We’re all extremely proud at Openreach of the work we’re doing to not only bring Full Fibre to what will be the highest point across all of the UK but also the improved connectivity that it will bring for visitors to the summit, families that live under the shadow of Yr Wyddfa and of course how our technology could potentially save lives.”

Marty Druce, Railway Operations Manager at Snowdon Mountain Railway, said:

“Full fibre broadband to the summit will be extremely beneficial for us as a business and will greatly improve communications from Llanberis to Hafod Eryri on the summit of Snowdon, Yr Wyddfa.

“It will be hugely beneficial to the local community, visitors and rescue services, with improved connectivity on the mountain.

“Our operations team here at Snowdon Mountain Railway are more than happy to assist in the logistical transportation for the Local Openreach engineers, fibre and equipment along the route of Snowdon.”

About Openreach in Wales

Openreach is on track to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses with access to Full Fibre ultrafast broadband by December 2026 and has already reached more than 550,000 properties across Wales.

With a workforce of around 2,300 in Wales, Openreach already employs the nation’s largest team of telecoms engineers and professionals.

Across Wales more than 100,000 homes and businesses have already ordered a full fibre service from a range of retail service providers using the Openreach network. But this means that thousands more could be benefiting from some of the fastest, most reliable broadband connections in Europe and have yet to upgrade.

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.

Mae Openreach wedi dechrau gwaith ar gynllun i ledu band eang ffeibr cyflawn i gopa’r Wyddfa yn barod ar gyfer tymor yr haf nesaf.

Bydd y cynllun peirianneg enfawr yn golygu rhedeg ceblau cysylltedd 1 Gigabeit per eiliad (Gbps) o gyfnewidfa Llanberis yr holl ffordd i’r copa.

Bydd peirianwyr lleol Openreach yn cydweithio â staff Rheilffordd yr Wyddfa er mwyn rhedeg y cebl saith cilomedr ar ochr y rheilffordd sy’n cludo oddeutu 150,000 o deithwyr i gopa’r Wyddfa bob blwyddyn.

O’i gwblhau, yr Wyddfa ar 1,085 metr, fydd y pwynt uchaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig gyda chysylltiad ffeibr cyflawn. Mae adeilad Hafod Eryri a’r café wedi bod ar gau ers 2019 yn dilyn cyfnod clo Covid, a byddant yn elwa o’r cysylltiadau cyfathrebu cyflym wrth hwyluso talu am nwyddau gyda chardiau a ffonau.

Ymhlith y trigolion lleol sydd eisoes wedi elwa o’r gwaith, mae teulu Morris sy’n byw yn y cartref uchaf yng Nghymru - bron hanner ffordd i fyny’r Wyddfa. Gyda chysylltiadau cyfathrebu’n wael ac anghyson cyn i Openreach wneud ei waith, mae’r dechnoleg wedi profi’n anrheg Nadolig cynnar i’r teulu.

Dywedodd Eira Morris:

“Rydym yn byw oddi ar y grid ac wedi ymdopi heb linell ffôn sefydlog erioed.

“Am 20 blynedd oedd rhaid sefyll wrth ffenestr er mwyn ateb galwadau ar ffôn symudol. Wrth fyw yng nghanol parc cenedlaethol, nid oedd codi polion ffôn yn opsiwn o dan y rheoliadau. Felly, mae cael band eang ffeibr optig cyflym yn dipyn o wyrth. Diolch yn fawr i Openreach, y tîm peirianneg a staff y rheilffordd am weithio o dan amgylchiadau heriol iawn er mwyn cyrraedd yr Wyddfa. Rydym yn ddiolchgar iawn am hyn".

Y gobaith hefyd yw bydd y cysylltedd gwell yn chwarae rôl hanfodol wrth helpu timau chwilio ac achub sy’n aml yn ymateb i alwadau i helpu pobl ar goll neu wedi cael niwed ar yr Wyddfa. Bob blwyddyn, bydd dros 600,000 o gerddwyr yn mentro i gopa’r Wyddfa a hyd yma mae’r timau wedi gorfod dibynnu ar signal radio er mwyn cysylltu â’i gilydd wrth chwilio am bobl.

Mae niwl trwm yn gallu effeithio galwadau radio. Wrth osod cysylltiad ffeibr cyflawn ar frig yr Wyddfa, y gobaith yw bydd gosod pwynt 5G yn hwyluso cyfathrebu rhwng timau chwlio ac achub yn y dyfodol.

Bydd y cysylltiad ffeibr band eang cyflym hefyd yn darparu data mewn amser real, megis rhagolygon tywydd a allai helpu i arbed amser ac achub bywydau ar y mynydd.

Dywedodd Suzanne Rutherford, prif beiriannydd Cymru:

“Rhaid dweud bod darparu band eang ffeibr cyflawn ar frig yr Wyddfa yn dasg enfawr.

“Mae angen ystyried maint yr Wyddfa er mwyn cydnabod y dasg yn wynebu ein peirianwyr, heb sôn am y tywydd!

“Mae pawb ohonom yn Openreach mor falch o’n gwaith i ledu band eang ffeibr cyflawn i’r pwynt uchaf ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig. Bydd yn gwella cysylltedd pob ymwelydd â’r copa, teuluoedd sy’n byw yng nghysgod yr Wyddfa ac wrth gwrs bydd y dechnoleg hefyd yn helpu i arbed bywydau.”

Dywedodd Marty Druce, rheolwr gweithredu Rheilffordd yr Wyddfa:

“Bydd cael band eang ffeibr cyflawn ar y copa yn help mawr i ni fel cwmni ac yn gwella cysylltiadau cyfathrebu rhwng Llanberis a Hafod Eryri ar gopa’r Wyddfa.

“Bydd yn gwella cysylltedd ar y mynydd er lles y gymuned leol, ymwelwyr a gwasanaethau achub.

“Bydd tîm gweithredu Rheilffordd yr Wyddfa yn hapus iawn i gludo peirianwyr Openreach, ffeibr ac offer ar hyd y llwybr i frig y mynydd.”

Am Openreach Cymru

Mae Openreach yn dilyn rhaglen i ddarparu band eang ffeibr cyflawn mewn 25 miliwn cartref a busnes yn y DU erbyn Rhagfyr 2026 ac eisoes wedi cyrraedd dros 550,000 cartref a busnes yng Nghymru.

Wrth gyflogi 2,300 yng Nghymru, mae Openreach yn cynnal y tîm mwyaf o beirianwyr a gweithwyr cysylltiedig yn y wlad.

Yng Nghymru mae dros 100,000 cartref a busnes wedi archebu gwasanaeth ffeibr cyflawn gan amryw gwmnïau gwasanaeth sy’n defnyddio rhwydwaith Openreach. Ond mae hynny hefyd yn golygu gallai miloedd o bobl eraill elwa o’r cysylltiadau band eang mwyaf cyflym a dibynadwy yn y byd, ond sydd heb wneud hynny eto.

Roedd 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.

Fideo byr yn esbonio technoleg ffeibr cyflawn a gallwch ddysgu mwy am ein rhaglen Ffeibr Gyntaf, ein darpariaethau diweddaraf a’n cynlluniau lleol yma.