Burry Port residents urged to pool Government-backed vouchers to deliver more ultrafast broadband

Lee Waters MS supports new Openreach initiative to extend rural next-generation network build

Openreach is asking residents in Burry Port to get behind a bid to bring ultrafast, ultra-reliable full fibre broadband to even more local homes and businesses.

           The company is planning Burry Port’s new full fibre broadband network and is urging local residents and businesses to consider pooling broadband vouchers available from the UK and Welsh Governments to help extend the build even further.

           Residents who don’t already have access to a 100Mbps broadband service can check if they may qualify and pledge their voucher on the Connect My Community website.

           The vouchers can be combined to extend the ultrafast, ultra-reliable network to premises in outlying rural areas which won’t be covered by private investment.

            Connie Dixon, Openreach’s partnership director for Wales, said: “This is a really exciting opportunity for Burry Port to bring full fibre infrastructure to the very hardest-to-reach local addresses.”

           “Because we’ve already committed to build full fibre to the majority of the town, the Welsh and UK government is supporting this incremental approach to help us to go even further. But it’s only possible with everyone working together – you, your neighbours and Openreach.

           “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 – as the scheme closes in March 2021.”

           Connie added: “A number of local homes 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. 

Llanelli’s Member of the Senedd, Lee Waters, said: “In such a short space of time we’ve come to realise how important good connectivity is for us to interact fully with the world. Full fibre technology will make a massive difference to homes and businesses in Burry Port. It makes sense for this programme to be extended as far as possible. Residents should check online if they are eligible for this broadband boost and consider pledging their vouchers to help us make sure nobody is left behind from better connectivity.”

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.