Openreach, the UK’s prominent wholesale broadband network provider, has injected £12 million into the expansion of an Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband network in Powys, delivering high-speed, reliable broadband connectivity to residents and businesses.
Fay Jones MP, representing Brecon and Radnorshire, recently toured the network infrastructure along with Openreach engineers who have been diligently working on this broadband expansion project. The initiative aims to make ‘full fibre’ broadband accessible to homes and businesses in the local area. Currently, nearly 40% of premises across Powys can benefit from this significant investment.
During the tour, Fay Jones MP visited the Builth Wells telephone exchange, where she observed the intricate process of fibre splicing. This crucial engineering technique involves fusing two ends of a fibre optic glass cable, each narrower than a human hair. It plays a pivotal role in Openreach’s Full Fibre network, which has already connected over 11 million properties throughout the UK.
Following the visit to the exchange, the tour proceeded to witness the ‘final stage’ of the Openreach Full Fibre network in the town, where local engineers are delivering this transformative technology to communities across Powys.
This substantial investment will bring notable benefits to Powys, including improved connectivity, reduced latency, and the capacity to support bandwidth-intensive applications and services. Ultrafast broadband can also stimulate economic growth by attracting new businesses and enhancing digital inclusion through equal opportunities for education, employment, and innovation.
Fay Jones MP commented, “Good connectivity is essential for my constituents, so it’s welcome to see the investment Openreach is making in our communities. It was great to see first-hand the technology that’s being used by Openreach, and residents and businesses will truly benefit from this increase in broadband speed and improved reliability. Full fibre broadband is revolutionising the way we all live and work, and it’s imperative that Brecon & Radnorshire is not left behind.”
The visit was hosted by Martin Williams, Partnership Director for Wales, who emphasized Openreach’s commitment to enhancing digital infrastructure and bridging the digital divide. Williams encouraged residents in the local area to monitor the build’s progress through the Openreach fibre checker, which provides regular updates on build progress and the availability of full fibre in specific areas.
Openreach is spearheading the expansion of full fibre broadband networks in Wales, striving to create an ultrafast network that is faster, more reliable, and cost-effective for all.
