The Future is Bright with Openreach

Openreach , 3rd May 2023

Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Transport and Technology, Natasha Asghar MS, 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 training its engineers to bring ultrafast Full fibre broadband to Wales.

Based in Newport, the multi-million pound learning centre gives trainee Openreach engineers the opportunity to learn the ropes and test their skills in a replica street, built from scratch to recreate the real network in the outside world.

Opened by Welsh Government First Minister, Mark Drakeford, in 2021 the new 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.

Up to 6,000 new and existing Openreach engineers from across Wales, as well as further afield, train at the Newport centre during a typical year.

During her visit, Natasha Asghar MS, was able to experience some of the training that Openreach engineers go through – from climbing a telegraph pole to splicing fibre (where two ends of fibre optic glass cable are fused together). A short video of Natasha Asghar’s visit to Openreach learning centre in Newport is also available to download and use online here.

The MS for South East Wales said:

“It’s been a delight to meet the Openreach team and see what they do at the learning centre in Newport.

“I’m a strong believer that the people of Wales need to have strong infrastructure and it’s clear that ultrafast broadband is the way forward.

“We need to make sure that we’re on a par with our counterparts in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and that why Wales needs to jump on the ultrafast bandwagon.

“Having seen what I’ve seen today believe you me the future is bright with Openreach.”

Hosting the visit was Martin Williams, Openreach Partnership Director for Wales. He said:

“Our National Learning Centre for Wales in Newport is key to our full fibre build across Wales.

“This is where we provide our trainees and more experienced engineers with their continued learning and development.

“After going through their training and learning new skills our engineers will then go out to the real world and help us to build our Full Fibre infrastructure at speed across Wales.”

About Openreach in Wales

Openreach is on track to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses with access to Full Fibre ultrafast broadband and has already reached more than 650,000 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 195,000 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.

Yn ddiweddar ymwelodd Gweinidog Trafnidiaeth & Technoleg yr Wrthblaid, Natasha Asghar MS, â Chanolfan Dysgu Cenedlaethol Cymru Openreach i weld sut mae prif adeiladwr rhwydwaith y Deyrnas Unedig yn hyfforddi perianwyr er mwyn lledu band eang ffeibr tra-chyflym ar draws y wlad.

Mae’r ganolfan gwerth sawl £miliwn yng Nghasnewydd yn rhoi cyfle i beirianwyr Openreach ddysgu sgiliau newydd mewn stryd a adeiladwyd yn bwrpasol i adlewyrchu rhwydwaith cenedlaethol y cwmni.

Agorwyd y Ganolfan gan brif weinidog Llywodraeth Cymru, Mark Drakeford yn 2021 er mwyn galluogi peirianwyr i brofi diwrnod gwaith yn y byd go iawn - wrth osod ceblau a gwneud gwaith trwsio, gweithio o dan y ddaear neu ddringo polion ffôn a gosod gwasanaethau newydd o fewn cartrefi a busnesau cwsmeriaid.

Bydd hyd at 6,000 peiriannydd Openreach o bob rhan o Gymru a thu hwnt yn derbyn hyfforddiant yng Nghasnewydd bob blwyddyn.

Yn ystod ei hymweliad, roedd Natasha Asghar AS wedi profi’r math o hyfforddiant bydd peirianwyr Openreach yn derbyn - o ddringo polion ffôn i sbleisio ffeibr (wrth ffiwsio dau gebl ffeibr optig â’i gilydd). Mae fideo byr o ymweliad Natasha Asghar â chanolfan ddysgu Openreach yng Nghasnewydd hefyd ar gael i'w lawrlwytho a'i ddefnyddio ar-lein yma.

Dywedodd Aelod Senedd De Ddwyrain Cymru:

“Roedd yn bleser cyfarfod â thîm Openreach a gweld eu gwaith yng nghanolfan Casnewydd.

“Rwy’n credu dylai pobl Cymru gael rhwydwaith cyfathrebu cryf ac yn y maes hwnnw mae’n glir mai band eang tra-chyflym yw’r ffordd ymlaen.

“Rhaid i ni weithio i efelychu beth sy’n digwydd mewn rhannau eraill o’r Deyrnas Unedig a dyna pam bydd rhaid i ni ddarparu band eang tra-chyflym ar draws y wlad.

“Ac ar ôl gweld gwaith y Ganolfan heddiw, mae’n amlwg bydd dyfodol llewyrchus o’n blaenau gydag Openreach.”

Yno i groesawu’r Aelod Senedd oedd Martin Williams, Cyfarwyddwr Partneriaethau Cymru Openreach. Dywedodd:

“Mae Canolfan Casnewydd yn elfen allweddol o’n gwaith i ledu ffeibr cyflawn drwy Gymru.

“Dyma ble byddwn yn helpu hyfforddeion a pheirianwyr profiadol i barhau i ddatblygu a dysgu sgiliau newydd.

“Ar ôl derbyn hyfforddiant a dysgu sgiliau newydd, bydd ein peirianwyr yn mynd allan i’r byd go iawn er mwyn ein helpu i ddarparu band eang ffeibr cyflawn ar draws y wlad.”

Am Openreach Cymru

Mae Openreach yn dilyn ei raglen i gyrraedd 25 miliwn cartref a busnes yn y Deyrnas Unedig gyda band eang ffeibr cyflawn erbyn diwedd 2026 ac eisoes wedi cyrraedd dros 620,000 yng Nghymru.

Gyda gweithlu o oddeutu 2,300 yng Nghymru, mae Openreach eisoes yn cyflogi tîm peirianwyr a gweithwyr cysylltiedig mwyaf y genedl.

Yng Nghymru mae dros 185,000 cartref a busnes eisoes wedi archebu gwasanaeth ffeibr cyflawn gan amrediad o gwmnïau gwasanaeth sy’n defnyddio rhwydwaith Openreach. Ond mae hynny’n golygu bod miloedd o bobl eraill heb fachu ar y cyfle hyd yma i elwa o rai o’r cysylltiadau band eang mwyaf cyflym a dibynadwy yn Ewrop.

Ymchwil diweddar gan CEBR (Centre for Economics and Business Research) wedi tanlinellu’r buddion economaidd clir o gysylltu pawb yng Nghymru â ffeibr cyflawn. Amcangyfrifwyd byddai’n rhoi hwb gwerth £2 biliwn i economi Cymru.

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.