Tide Turns for Full Fibre Connectivity

Openreach , 13th March 2023

Shell Island near Llanbedr in Gwynedd will soon be able to access some of the fastest and most reliable broadband speeds available thanks to the work of local Openreach engineers.

Boasting stunning views of Cardigan Bay & Eryri National Park, Shell Island sits on the peninsula of Mochras, in North West Wales.

To bring ultrafast broadband to the area Openreach engineers have run brand new fibre cables from the nearest exchange in Llanbedr (nearly four kilometres away). Part of the work involved drilling and laying new underground ducts two metres beneath the tidal area of the peninsula, that runs between Shell Island and the mainland.

The work needed to coincide with low tide-times and required innovative drilling equipment that allowed Openreach engineers to work safely. To see Openreach engineers working to connect Shell Island please watch the video below.

Suzanne Rutherford, Chief Engineer for Wales, Openreach, explains:

“Shell Island is a site of special scientific interest so, as you would expect, we’ve been working very closely with Natural Resources Wales in the planning for this work.

“In addition to Shell Island we’re also making Full Fibre broadband available to a number of rural properties in the area along with the enterprise park at Llanbedr airfield.

“Having to build across a road that goes through a tidal plain does present some specific engineering and safety challenges, but we’ve been working closely with the Welsh Government and have come up with a plan that overcame these issues.”

Openreach engineers and partners had to wait until the tide had gone out before commencing work. Using an innovative trench digger, better known as a ‘ditch witch’, they then drilled horizontally across the tidal area until mother nature – and the tide – put a stop to work for another day. In total engineers needed to drill for 400m across the tidal area to complete the work.

Used to dig small trenches at rapid speed, the ‘ditch witch’ has become an effective item in the Openreach toolkit as the UK’s largest network builder continues to roll out its Ultrafast Full Fibre network across the country.

Welsh Government Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said:

“I’m delighted to welcome this investment in fibre broadband for Shell Island. Ultrafast broadband is making a real difference to communities across Gwynedd and Wales.

“Having access to superfast and ultrafast broadband speeds is becoming increasingly important for businesses throughout Wales and that is why the Welsh Government is investing in providing the infrastructure capable of delivering them.

“As part of a package of measures, the Welsh Government is working with Openreach to connect 39,000 properties to fibre broadband. Our fibre rollout with Openreach and various other schemes bring better connectivity to some of the hardest to reach parts of Wales. Good quality digital connectivity underpins everything we do digitally and is the foundation to achieving our ambitious digital strategy for Wales.

“Broadband is a key utility, and we’ll continue to support all efforts to boost connections the length and breadth of Wales.”

About Openreach in Wales

Openreach is on track to reach 25 million UK homes and businesses with access to ultrafast Full Fibre broadband by end of 2026 and has already reached more than 630,000 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 185,000 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.

Cyn bo hir bydd Mochras ger Llanbedr, Gwynedd yn gallu cael gwasanaeth band eang yn cymharu â’r mwyaf cyflym a dibynadwy yn Ewrop yn dilyn gwaith gan beirianwyr lleol Openreach.

Mae penrhyn Mochras, Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri, yn meddu ar olygfeydd hynod ar draws Bae Aberteifi.

Er mwyn darparu band eang tra-chyflym yn yr ardal, mae peirianwyr Openreach wedi rhedeg ceblau ffeibr newydd o’r gyfnewidfa agosaf yn Llanbedr (bron 4 cilomedr). Roedd y gwaith yn golygu drilio a gosod dwythellau newydd dau fetr o dan ardal llanw’r penrhyn.

Roedd rhaid gwneud y gwaith adeg cyfnodau llanw isel a defnyddio offer drilio arloesol er galluogi peirianwyr Openreach i weithio’n ddiogel. I weld peirianwyr Openreach yn gweithio i gysylltu Ynys Shell, gwyliwch y fideo isod.

Dywedodd Suzanne Rutherford, prif beiriannydd Cymru, Openreach:

“Mae’r penrhyn yn safle o ddiddordeb gwyddonol arbennig, felly cydweithiodd y cwmni’n ofalus gyda Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru wrth gynllunio’r rhaglen.

“Yn ogystal â’r penrhyn, byddwn hefyd yn lledu band eang ffeibr cyflawn i nifer o gartrefi ac adeiladau yn yr ardal, ynghyd â pharc menter maes awyr Llanbedr.

“Roedd adeiladu ar draws heol yn rhedeg ar hyd gwastadedd llanw wedi achosi nifer o heriau peirianneg a diogelwch, ond cydweithiwyd â Llywodraeth Cymru er mwyn dyfeisio cynllun addas.”

Roedd rhaid i beirianwyr a phartneriaid Openreach aros tan i’r llanw ostwng cyn dechrau gwaith. Defnyddiwyd cloddiwr arloesol ‘ditch witch’ er mwyn drilio ar draws yr ardal tan i’r llanw atal y broses am ddiwrnod arall. At ei gilydd roedd y peirianwyr wedi drilio 400m ar draws yr ardal er mwyn cwblhau’r gwaith.

Defnyddir y ‘ditch witch’ i gloddio ffosydd bach yn gyflym iawn, sydd erbyn hyn yn eitem effeithiol iawn o fewn pecyn arfau Openreach wrth i adeiladwr rhwydwaith mwyaf y Deyrnas Unedig ledu ei rwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn ar draws y wlad.

Dywedodd gweinidog economi Llywodraeth Cymru, Vaughan Gething:

“Rwy’n falch iawn o groesawu’r buddsoddiad yma mewn band eang ffeibr ar gyfer penrhyn Mochras. Mae band eang tra-chyflym yn gwneud gwahaniaeth mawr i gymunedau ar draws Gwynedd a’r wlad gyfan.

“Mae cael band eang tra-chyflym ac uwchgyflym yn gynyddol bwysig i fusnesau’r wlad a dyna pam mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn buddsoddi i ddarparu’r seilwaith angenrheidiol.

“Fel rhan o becyn o fesurau, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn cydweithio ag Openreach i ddarparu band eang ffeibr ar gyfer 39,000 cartref a busnes. Bydd ein rhaglen ffeibr gydag Openreach ac amryw gynlluniau eraill yn darparu cysylltedd gwell mewn rhai o’r ardaloedd mwyaf anodd eu cyrraedd yng Nghymru. Cysylltedd digidol safon uchel yw asgwrn cefn ein gwaith er gosod sylfaen i wireddu strategaeth ddigidol uchelgeisiol Cymru.

“Mae band eang yn wasanaeth allweddol erbyn hyn a byddwn yn parhau i gefnogi pob ymdrech i wella cysylltiadau cyfathrebu ar hyd a lled 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 630,000 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.