Residents of a village on Ynys Môn, are soon to enjoy the benefits of fast broadband thanks to a community-driven initiative. After years of struggling with limited and unreliable network access, Llangoed residents joined forces with local partners to address the issue, taking advantage of the Fibre Community Partnership (FCP) operated by Openreach and made possible with support from UK Government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme.
The new connection, goes live this week, marking a significant step forward for this community which has also seen support from the Rural Digital Connectivity scheme led by Ambition North Wales and managed by Menter Môn. Homes and businesses can finally access high-speed internet, overcoming years of limited digital connectivity.
Jonathan Lewis is a member of the Llangoed Village Hall committee, he said:
“We will soon begin to see the benefits of our new connection. We’ll host a variety of events in the hall that weren’t possible before, from live streaming opera and ballet productions to showing National Theatre plays, concerts and sporting events. We have setup a meeting room equipped with full AV facilities around a smart TV, enabling business meetings, presentations, and briefings ready to go.
"For us, it’s not just about connecting to faster internet; it’s about bringing the whole village together. After years of dealing with limited broadband, our community will finally have the connectivity it needs to fully embrace the opportunities.”
This community on Ynys Môn is among 21 across North Wales being supported towards securing fast and reliable broadband in this way. As well as signposting to the FCP, the Rural Digital Connectivity scheme works with satellite and 4G services providers to link communities that would otherwise not have access to reliable networks.
Councillor Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham County Borough Council is also the Digital Connectivity Programme Lead at Ambition North Wales. He added:
“We’re delighted that Llangoed is one of the areas that has benefited from an initiative such as the FCP. Our Rural Digital Connectivity initiative is still open for communities who are frustrated at not being able to benefit from essential online services.
We want to work with more communities like Llangoed to improve capability across the whole region to meet the growing demand for fast and reliable broadband. It’s not just about getting people on-line; it’s about connecting communities to new opportunities. We want to enable businesses to grow, students to access additional online learning opportunities, and families to stay connected.”
Rural Digital Connectivity is available across all six counties of North Wales. It is managed by Menter Môn in the west and Cadwyn Clwyd in the east. The scheme will run for another month and residents of rural communities like Llangoed are urged to get in touch with the project team so they too can work towards securing access to faster broadband and digital services.