CARMARTHENSHIRE-BASED rural broadband specialist Dyfed Superfast has been awarded a contract to deliver high speed internet to the Powys County Council ward of Yscir.
Like much of rural Wales, Yscir has some of the poorest connectivity in the country with speeds of less than 1mbps.
Dyfed IT will be installing a series of masts across the region to create a Fixed Wireless Access network that will offer speeds of over 30mbps.
Cllr Iain McIntosh, who was elected as Yscir County Councillor in June 2017, launched a petition to bring better broadband to the ward following dissatisfaction from residents about the existing service. Iain spent time knocking on every door within Yscir in September and managed to acquire signatures of support from over 200 properties.
Cllr McIntosh said: “During my election campaign it became clear that poor internet speeds was fast becoming the most pressing issue for the community. I made it my priority as an elected councillor to find a better solution for the ward, given the lack of coverage and cooperation from BT and OpenReach.”
Cllr McIntosh organised a steering group to meet with potential independent providers. Dyfed Superfast was selected unanimously given their track record in delivering reliable and scalable broadband services to rural regions. Now residents, including the farthest-reaching farming communities, will have access to high-speed internet at a low monthly cost.
He added: “The Welsh Government has allocated significant funding to ensure rural Wales has access to better broadband, but only a handful of remote communities have applied for it. By taking control and using an evidence based approach to find an alternative route to high-speed internet we will be able to transform internet connectivity within Yscir. I’m delighted to have found a provider to bring better internet to the residents of Yscir and I encourage other county councillors and community leaders to do the same in other remote areas.”
As part of the project, village halls in Llanfihangel Nant Bran, Upper chapel and Trallong will receive free internet to help support the community and provide greater access to online resources. Dyfed Superfast will also have a means-tested solution available for low-income households.
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