FAQs - Broadband and Mobile Coverage

Fibre Broadband uses Fibre Optic cable to connect your home to the exchange building.

There are three types of Broadband:

1. Copper Broadband (broadband over the phoneline) has been the backbone of internet structure for several decades. This technology uses copper cables into your home. (average downloads speed of 10-11 megabits per second)
2. Fibre to the Cabinet uses fibre optical cables from the exchange to the cabinet and then copper cable to your home (maximum speeds of 80mbps – depending on distance from cabinet
3. Fibre from the exchange directly to your home. (1,000 mbps/ 1GB)

Check the speed checker to see what speeds you are currently getting.

• More reliable, less susceptible to interferences or dropouts.
• More devices can access the broadband at the same time and have consistent speeds
• Faster upload speeds for people working from home, uploading larger files and gaming
• Reliable connection for video calling and sharing large files
• Stream live programmes and other entertainment services
• Enables experiences for students and teachers so they can access online learning resources and portals.
• Adds value to your property.
• Great for businesses as fibre cables are more resistant to bad weather conditions, resistant to electromagnetic interference and bandwidth is not affected by distance.
• Full fibre broadband prices are almost the same price as Superfast broadband but with guaranteed speeds and quality.
• Installation costs vary from premises to premises but in most circumstances are free.
• Some Internet Service Providers offer discounted deals for low-income customers that meet their eligibility criteria.

Fibre broadband is a difficult engineering programme as it replaces the existing copper broadband infrastructure. They may use existing infrastructure within the build but to get fibre to run directly into homes and businesses, it may involve a great amount of civil engineering in sometimes difficult or remote locations.

Fibre is being rolled out to thousands across the county through commercial roll out or Government funded schemes such as the Gigabit Voucher Scheme ​and Project Gigabit. There are several suppliers rolling out fibre in different areas of Carmarthenshire.

Active Suppliers in Carmarthenshire are:

Openreach

Netomnia

Wefibre

Voneus

Virgin​

Most suppliers, if not all, have moved to deploy fibre to the premises as opposed to fibre to the cabinet.

You may be able to order a service already, type your postcode in to the Broadband Availability Checker to check.

Contact a supplier to discuss your options with them.

In this circumstance, you should contact the supplier for more information.

You may be able to order a service already, type your postcode in to the Broadband Availability Checker to check.

No public money has been used to pay for part build fibre or commonly known as stranded assets; the Welsh Government only pays for assets that have been enabled to provide a Superfast broadbnad connection to a home or business.

There are immediate alternative solutions that can provide broadband in your home.

Not all broadband needs to be provided via cabling, solutions can vary from 4G, wireless or satellite.

4G routers have proven efficient in remote locations where there is strong outdoor signal. Attaching an antenna or dish pointing in line of sight of a 4G mast can give greater speeds.

Funding is available to help fund the cost of installation of an alternative solution through the Access Broadband Cymru Scheme. The Scheme can offer up to £800 depending on the speed of the new connection.

Buffering is caused by number of factors such as:

• Low connection speeds
• Other users on the internet
• Fluctuations in the network from the internet service provider's side
• the Wi-Fi having to go through walls or other obstacles.
• Errors on the line.

The Ofcom website has some helpful tips to stay connected.

Some Internet Service Providers offer discounted deals for certain low-income customers called Social Tariffs.

Your local Senedd representative can help raise the issue with relevant parties however the Telecommunications policy is not devolved to Wales.

Your Member of Parliament can raise the issue to the UK Government who are responsible for the telecommunications policy.

The local authority can help by providing information and support to residents regarding the options that are available. The local authority work closely with Welsh Government, UK Government, telecommunications operators, and Ofcom. 

Relevant information:

Carmarthenshire County Council

Welsh Government

UK Government

Ofcom

Often referred to as 'Signal' or 'Reception', mobile coverage refers to the strength of signal/ reception in the area that your mobile phone uses to make phone calls, send messages or use the internet.