Improving broadband connectivity and mobile signal in our rural communities is a priority for Ben Lake and Elin Jones and both have been campaigning hard and consistently to ensure better connectivity for everyone who lives and works in the county. They regularly raise the issue in their respective Parliaments at Westminster and Cardiff and hold regular meetings with Openreach senior officials.
Superfast Cymru
Welsh Government’s Superfast Cymru Programme ends this year and we have been given assurances by Openreach that all remaining properties that have been included in the current contract will be connected to FTTP by July 2022.
To check if your property is included in this programme please visit Openreach’s website: https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband
Broadband Upgrade Fund
Promoting a competitive market for gigabit-capable infrastructure is something I fully support, and it means encouraging other companies to build infrastructure in competition to Openreach. To that extent, we have seen significant improvements in recent months as a result of the UK Government’s Broadband Upgrade Fund (BUF) pilot scheme that took place in seven counties, including Ceredigion, in Autumn 2020.
The BUF was essentially a new twist on the UK Government’s existing rural gigabit voucher scheme, offering vouchers to help premises get a gigabit-capable broadband service installed. As a result of this pilot scheme, a number of rural communities across Ceredigion were identified by private suppliers (WeFibre and Broadway Partners) for developing potential broadband upgrade schemes.
WeFibre
In response to the BUF pilot scheme, WeFibre have received approval for 10 projects across Ceredigion currently, including in the following areas:
- Llanrhystud (including Llan-non)
- Cwrtnewydd (including Talgarreg, Gorsgoch, Cribyn, Bwlchydfadfa)
- Llanybydder (including Alltyblaca, Llanwnnen, Drefach, Llanwenog)
- Tregaron
- Ponthydfendigaid
- Cross Inn (including Pennant and Bethania)
- Tan-y-groes (including Blaenporth and Sarnau)
For further information and to check whether you could benefit from a WeFibre project, please contact Neil Davies: [email protected]
Broadway Partners
Broadway have also been working on several projects across Ceredigion, mainly in the north of the county including in the wards of Ceulanmaesmawr, Melindwr, Borth, Trefeurig, Tirmynach, Ystwyth and Llanrhystud.
For further information go to: https://broadwaypartners.co.uk/
Openreach’s Community Fibre Partnership
Whilst there are a few Community Fibre Partnership schemes in progress in Ceredigion, including in Cardigan and Bow Street, Openreach have informed us that:
“At the moment our schemes are on hold whilst we review our scheme pipeline. We've had an unprecedented volume of FCP registrations, and we're reviewing those in line with our network build capacity, We're sorry we can't provide any definitive updates at this time, but should be in a position to do so in February.”
Further information can be found here: https://www.openreach.com/fibre-broadband/fibre-community-partnership
Mydroilyn
The community of Mydroilyn and surrounding areas have successfully obtained a Full Ultrafast Fibre To The Property (FTTP) Infrastructure for the entire catchment of Mydroilyn – a total of approximately 237 properties. The work is nearly completed and should be available to all residents imminently with the majority of residents having already been connected.
Fixed Wireless Access
If there are no plans in place to upgrade your current broadband connection, it might be worth looking at alternative options such as a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).
Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) providers (Wireless ISPs - WISPs) use specific frequencies of the radio spectrum to transmit their signals through the air (radio waves) and in a similar way to how mobile phone networks operate, doing away with wires. Most wireless ISPs only offer very limited coverage in specific/niche areas (e.g. rural villages), although their price and performance tends to be good.
Voneus have a FWA project in place for the south of Ceredigion. For further information please contact the Community Engagement Team leader for Voneus in Wales: [email protected] / 07495 310657
You might be eligible for funding to improve your broadband connection through Welsh Government’s Access Broadband Cymru scheme: https://gov.wales/access-broadband-cymru-grant-scheme
Shared Rural Network Programme
I am one of a group of 75 cross-party MPs representing rural constituencies who have been pushing for improved mobile connectivity in rural areas across the UK. Our hard work seems to be paying off in the shape of the Shared Rural Network programme, a programme which is currently being developed by the UK's four mobile network operators and the UK Government. The programme aims to deliver 4G coverage to 95% of the UK. You can find out more about the Shared Rural Network here: https://srn.org.uk/
We have received confirmation this month that two new network masts will be built in the north of Ceredigion as part of the Shared Rural Network programme which should hopefully improve mobile signal significantly across quite a vast area. The proposed site for both masts is SY24 5HL (Bont-goch) and SY25 6JW (Tregaron). The build for these masts is expected to commence later this year.
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