Community gets connected thanks to grant scheme

A VILLAGE in Gywnedd now has access to some of the fastest broadband speeds in Europe.

The community of Llanymawddwy is now as well connected as any of part of London, Paris or Rome.

It’s thanks to a community fibre partnership (CFP) between local residents and Openreach.

This has seen fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) technology installed - where fibre is run directly from the exchange all the way to 70 rural properties.

Openreach engineers replaced and erected a total of 36 new telephone poles to carry more than 15 miles of fibre cable from the telephone exchange in Dolgellau to the residents of Llanymawddwy.

They will be able to access speeds of up to one gigabit bit per second (1Gbps).

The cost of the Llanymawddwy CFP will be covered by investment from both Openreach and the residents themselves who were able to fully cover their contribution by accessing the Welsh Government’s top-up to the UK Government’s Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme.

Local councillor, John Pugh Roberts, said: “We’re very pleased that ultrafast broadband has arrived in Llanymawddwy and Cwm Cywarch.

“It will transform our day-to-day lives – for the younger generation, businesses and those that are working from home. It’ll be a valuable asset to the area.”

Openreach partnership director for Wales, Connie Dixon, said: “We all know how essential it is for homes and businesses up and down the country to have fast, reliable broadband.

“From running a business to home schooling and shopping - so much is done online.

“While more than 95% of premises in Wales can already access superfast broadband we know there is more to do to reach those final premises.”