Llanbrynmair in Powys can lay claim to being the first telephone exchange area in the UK to have 100 per cent Full Fibre broadband coverage meaning every home and property in the village can now access ultrafast, ultra-reliable broadband.
This ground-breaking upgrade, which has been delivered by Openreach thanks to the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, brings Full Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology to every property in Llanbrynmair – more than 500 - delivering internet speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).
This significant boost in connectivity will transform the digital landscape for both residents and businesses by providing the community with seamless access to remote working, online education, entertainment streaming and other essential online services.
Among the residents to see an instant benefit as a result of their new connectivity is local farmer and classical singer, Aled Wyn Davies.
Aled, who in addition to his busy day job of tending to his hillside farm, travels the world as part of the famous Three Welsh Tenors and has been singing the praises of his new ultrafast broadband.
Aled explains: “Having ultrafast broadband has completely changed our lives.”
“I can record myself singing and send it to an accompanist or studio and they receive everything instantaneously. Previously it would have taken 10 minutes or more and I would have to go outside the house to find a mobile signal. Everything’s instant now and so much easier.”
Suzanne Rutherford, Chief Engineer Director for Openreach in Wales, said: “This milestone is a significant achievement for us and reflects Openreach’s commitment to building our Full Fibre network as far and as fast as possible.
“To reach every property within an exchange area with Full Fibre has never been done before so I’m proud that we managed to cross this engineering challenge in Wales first.”
The achievement has been a collaborative effort, with the UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme playing a pivotal role in funding the deployment of full fibre in rural and hard-to-reach areas
Across Wales more than fifty communities making up nearly 25,000 properties in some of the most rural parts of the country could take advantage of this ultrafast upgrade as a result of the scheme.
As part of the funding conditions residents are asked to commit to ordering a full fibre service from a provider of their choice for at least 12 months.
For more information, visit the Openreach website.