Plaid Cymru Senedd Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Mabon ap Gwynfor has called on the Welsh government to put urgent pressure on network provider Openreach to carry out preparatory work to prevent future network outages during winter storms.
Mr ap Gwynfor has been representing residents and around twenty businesses in the community of Llwyndyrys near Pwllheli, who were left without a phone and internet connection for weeks following the devastation caused by Storm Darragh.
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Residents and businesses fear that if work isn’t carried out now to clear cables of overhanging branches, come the next winter storm, power will be lost again leading to serious challenges for both residents and businesses whose trade rely on a reliable internet and phone connection.
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Residents have conducted a survey of the road leading to Llwyndyrus and have identified significant problems that require urgent attention such as cutting back trees to prevent cables getting tangled in branches.
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The Cabinet Secretary confirmed she would be raising the matter with Openreach following Mabon's question.
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Speaking in the Senedd, Mabon ap Gwynfor MS said:
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The Cabinet Secretary will recall Storm Darragh, and the devastation caused to communities across Wales. The storm led to thousands of households losing their phone and internet connection, including the community of Llwyndyrys, with some households left without Wi-Fi for several weeks. Since then, the community has carried out a survey of the infrastructure and have noticed that cables and poles in precarious condition. Cables are tangled in branches at the side of the road. The fear is that come the next storm the cables will break again but it is almost impossible to fix cables in the middle of a storm. It would be advantageous if work was carried out to sure-up this infrastructure ahead of any future storm – and this is applicable to countless communities across Wales. Will the Cabinet Secretary talk with Openreach to ensure that this work is carried out over the summer months to avoid similar problems occurring as we head into the autumn and winter months?
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Local resident, business owner and member of Llwyndyrys Area Committee, Myrddin ap Dafydd said:....
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This rural area was among the last 5% of Wales to receive fast broadband. Wires were woven through twigs and roadside tree trunks. Persistent, hard storms now mean that perennial damage is being done to the branches. There is at least one business in every household in the area and these persistent outages are affecting the economy of the area as well as recreational use of the internet.
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