Nearly 40,000 Conwy homes and businesses can now access Openreach’s new Full Fibre broadband network.
However, only around 22 per cent of people who can upgrade to Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband across the county have done so – with some parts of Conwy such as Colwyn Bay 15% and Llanrwst 17% having among the lowest take up of ultrafast broadband in Wales
People living and working across Conwy are being encouraged to find out more about the new technology – as the latest figures show that Openreach’s Full Fibre network – which offers the UK’s biggest choice of broadband providers – is now available to nearly 40,000 premises. A local investment by Openreach of around £12 million. [1]
Meanwhile a short drive across the coast to Flintshire sees take up of ultrafast broadband shoot up to more than 55% with nearly 60% of Caergwrle village residents taking up the service.
As well as being faster, Full Fibre broadband provides more reliable, resilient and future-proof connectivity, with fewer faults; more predictable, consistent speeds; and enough capacity to use multiple devices at once.
Martin Williams, Openreach’s regional director for Wales, said:
“Fast and reliable full fibre broadband gives households and businesses a boost – it is having a huge impact on people’s daily lives.
“Switching is easy and may even be cheaper than your existing broadband package but it’s important to remember that upgrades don’t happen automatically. People need to contact, and place orders through, their broadband service provider to take advantage.
“Our engineering build continues across Conwy and the rest of Wales and we’re determined to deliver a great service to local residents, helping people to work from home easily and build connections and opportunities in their communities.”
Full Fibre supports a host of online services and entertainment such as seamless streaming and smooth online gaming experiences while businesses can operate with certainty that their broadband will support all their day-to-day, business critical tasks such as video calls, banking and customer interaction via social media platforms.
Packages from a wide range of broadband providers are increasingly competitively priced, meaning people may pay similar, or even less, per month than their current bill for a much-improved service.
Once somebody places an order with a service provider, an Openreach engineer will visit on an agreed day. They’ll run a new fibre optical cable from underground or a nearby pole to a small junction box on the outside wall of the premises. A smaller cable goes through the outside wall to an inside unit – which needs to be near a double electricity socket. Before they leave, the engineer will test the connection to make sure it’s up and running.
Openreach has announced plans to invest in Full Fibre broadband for the majority of premises in more than 35 towns and villages across North East Wales including Llanfairfechan , Mold and Ruthin. It’s part of the company’s plans to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses by the end of 2026.
Local people can visit the Openreach fibre checker, which is regularly updated with build progress and shows when full fibre is available in specific areas.
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.
