03/29/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

Burry Port residents urged to pool ultrafast broadband vouchers as deadline looms

OPENREACH is asking people living in Burry Port to get behind a push for faster broadband.

Ultrafast, ultra-reliable full fibre broadband is within touching distance for people living in Burry Port – thanks to Openreach’s Community Fibre Partnership scheme.

The company – the UK’s largest broadband network used by customers of BT, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Zen – is urging people living or working in Burry Port to consider pooling Gigabit broadband vouchers available from the UK and Welsh Governments to help build a new, gigabit-capable network, where fibre is run directly from the exchange all the way to each property.

Many residents have already pledged their support, but those who haven’t and don’t currently have access to a 100Mbps broadband service can check if they qualify and pledge their voucher on the Connect My Community website.

If enough people come forward to pledge, and validate their vouchers – before the scheme ends – Openreach can work with the community to build a customised, co-funded network and bring full fibre broadband to areas not included in any existing private or publicly subsidised upgrade schemes.

By working with Openreach in this way, more than 150,000 homes and businesses across the UK can already benefit from ultrafast, ultra-reliable broadband.

Connie Dixon, Openreach’s partnership director for Wales, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for the community of Burry Port to bring full fibre infrastructure to the town but the clock is ticking.”

“Deadline for vouchers to be pledged and issued is the end of March so we need as many people as possible in Burry Port to get involved so that we get enough pledges ‘over the line’. Everyone who pledges a voucher will be doing their bit to help make Burry Port one of the best-connected places in Wales. Pledging couldn’t be simpler, but we need residents to act quickly.”

Connie added: “Thousands of homes and businesses across Wales can already upgrade to the Openreach full fibre network and local people can use our online postcode checker to see what’s now available.

“We’re investing £12 billion to build full fibre broadband to 20 million homes – and more than three million of those will be in the toughest third of the UK – but we can’t upgrade the whole country alone. This latest support from government, alongside help to remove red tape and barriers that slow down the build, is vital.”

To claim vouchers which contribute towards the cost of building the new network, residents are asked to commit to ordering a full fibre service from a provider of their choice for at least 12 months once the new network is available.

Eligible residents can qualify for up to a maximum of £3,000 while small to medium sized businesses can claim up to £7,000 under the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme which has been topped up by Welsh Government funding.

Carmarthenshire County Council leader, Cllr Emlyn Dole said: “We welcome this scheme and would strongly recommend residents and businesses in Burry Port seeking ultra-fast, ultra-reliable internet speeds to register their interest now. Fast, reliable connectivity is vital to support business growth, help communities to thrive, improve health and well-being, and make it easier for people to get online and access public services. This has been particularly highlighted during the current Covid-19 pandemic.”

Full fibre technology provides more reliable, resilient and future-proof connectivity; meaning fewer faults; more predictable, consistent speeds and enough capacity to easily meet growing data demands. It’s also future-proof, which means it will serve generations to come and won’t need to be upgraded for decades.

Fibre optics – strands of glass around one-tenth the thickness of a human hair – transmit data using light signals. Fibre is smaller, lighter and more durable than copper cabling and less vulnerable to damage. This short video explains what full fibre technology is and there’s more info here.

Amser yn brin i drigolion Porth Tywyn cronni talebau band eang tra chyflym

Mae Openreach yn gofyn trigolion Porth Tywyn i gefnogi cynnig i ddarparu band eang ffeibr cyflawn, tra chyflym a dibynadwy yn y dref.

Nod y cwmni yw cael trigolion a busnesau lleol i addo talebau band eang Gigabeit gan lywodraethau Cymru a’r Deyrnas Unedig er mwyn helpu i adeiladu rhwydwaith newydd yn cynnig gwasanaeth band eang gigabeit, fydd yn rhedeg ffeibr yn syth o’r gyfnewidfa i bob cartref a busnes.

Mae trigolion nad ydynt eisoes yn gallu cael gwasanaeth band eang 100Mbps yn gallu gweld os ydynt yn gymwys i gael taleb a’i addo i gwmni gwasanaeth ar wefan Connect My Community.

Bydd addo’r talebau yn galluogi Openreach i gydweithio â chymuned leol i ariannu ac adeiladu rhwydwaith ar y cyd, a lledu band eang ffeibr cyflawn i ardaloedd nad ydynt yn rhan o gynlluniau uwchraddio preifat neu gyhoeddus.

Wrth gydweithio ag Openreach fel hyn mae dros 150,000 cartref a busnes ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig eisoes yn gallu elwa o fand eang tra chyflym a dibynadwy.

Dywedodd Connie Dixon, cyfarwyddwraig partneriaethau Cymru: “Dyma gyfle cyffrous i gymuned Porth Tywyn gael isadeiledd ffeibr cyflawn yn y dref, ond mae’r amser yn brin.”

“Bydd pawb sy’n addo taleb yn chwarae eu rhan wrth helpu i ddarparu cysylltiadau cyfathrebu yn ardal Porth Tywyn fydd yn cymharu â’r gorau yn Ewrop. Mae’r broses yn hawdd, ond bydd angen ei dilyn yn gyflym – oherwydd bydd y cynllun yn dod i ben ym mis Mawrth 2021.”

Ychwanegodd Connie: “Mae miloedd o gartrefi a busnesau ar draws y wlad eisoes yn gallu uwchraddio i rwydwaith ffeibr cyflawn Openreach, gyda thrigolion yn gallu defnyddio ein gwiriwr cod post i weld beth sydd ar gael ar hyn o bryd.

“Rydym yn buddsoddi £12 biliwn er lledu band eang ffeibr cyflawn i 20 miliwn cartref – gyda dros dair miliwn ohonynt yn yr ardaloedd mwyaf anodd eu cyrraedd ar draws y Deyrnas Unedig – ond ni fyddwn yn gallu uwchraddio’r wlad gyfan ar ben ein hunain. Mae cynllun cymorth y llywodraeth, ynghyd â help i daclo biwrocratiaeth a rhwystrau eraill, yn gwbl hanfodol.”

Er mwyn hawlio talebau fydd yn cyfrannu at gostau adeiladu’r rhwydwaith newydd, gofynnir trigolion i ymrwymo i archebu gwasanaeth ffeibr cyflawn gan gwmni o’u dewis am o leiaf 12 mis ar ôl darparu’r rhwydwaith newydd.

Mae trigolion cymwys yn gallu cael hyd at uchafswm o £3,000 tra bod busnesau bach i ganolig yn gallu hawlio hyd at £7,000 o dan y Cynllun Talebau Band Eang Gigabeit, gyda Llywodraeth Cymru yn ychwanegu at y swm ym mhob achos.

Dywedodd arweinydd Cyngor Sir Gâr, Cynghorydd Emlyn Dole: “Rydym yn croesawu’r cynllun hwn ac yn annog triogolion a busnesau Porth Tywyn sydd am gael band eang cyflym a dibynadwy i gofrestru eu diddordeb yn syth.”

“Mae cysylltiadau rhyngrwyd cyflym a dibynadwy yn hanfodol er cynnal tyfiant busnesau, a helpu cymunedau i ffynnu, mynd arlein a defnyddio gwasanaethau cyhoeddus. Profwyd hynny’n benodol yn ystod pandemig Covid-19.”

Ffeibr optig – llinynnau gwydr oddeutu degfed trwch gwallt – sy’n trosglwyddo data wrth ddefnyddio signalau golau. Mae ffeibr yn llai ac yn fwy ysgafn a gwydn na cheblau copr ac yn llai tebygol o ddioddef difrod. Mae’r fideo yn esbonio technoleg ffeibr cyflawn a mwy o fanylion yma.

 

%d bloggers like this: