English: As a member of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee I'd like to place on record how important I thought this report actually was. My thanks to all those who came to give evidence to our inquiry. Since being elected, one of the thorniest issues I've had to deal with in my postbag relates to internet provision to domestic properties. One such example relates to the village of Penderyn in my constituency, and this was a subject before the Petitions Committee just last year. Since then I've come across all too frequent examples of seemingly isolated properties falling through gaps in provision, but perhaps what shocked me most of all was the case of the new Coed Dyffryn estate in Cwmbach. The estate was built around four years ago by Persimmon, and ever since residents were caught in a notspot no-man's land. Residents moving into their new properties found that they had a severely inadequate service, making it almost impossible to work, study or even just shop. One constituent told me how he would have to drive to a local supermarket just to use their Wi-Fi to run his business, and no-one wanted to help. Persimmon blamed BT. BT says it was Persimmon's fault. The UK Government actually advised residents to crowdfund a solution. I'm happy to say that my intervention seems to have led to a resolution. Openreach have agreed to invest the capital needed to complete the work to connect the empty cabinet frustratingly close to the new houses. Coed Dyffryn residents should be able to finally benefit from superfast speeds before the end of the year. I would like to place on record my thanks to the then Minister for Skills and Science for her support in closing this case, and put on record how glad I am to see her retain responsibility for digital infrastructure. Her proactive comments in committee last week around enabling AMs to get it right for their constituents are to be welcomed, but what made this example particularly frustrating is that this was not a housing estate in the middle of the wilds. Rather, it was an urbanised area situated between Aberdare and Mountain Ash. It was against this casework backdrop that I approached the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee inquiry into digital infrastructure in Wales. As the Chair reminded us, despite the peculiar geographic and demographic challenges in Wales, the Welsh Government has succeeded in ensuring that 24 out of every 25 Welsh properties have access to Superfast Cymru. This is a phenomenal achievement, but we cannot forget that twenty-fifth property. The frustration experienced by my constituents was palpable, and this is a common phenomenon among those who lose out. We need to see bold solutions to fill in the gaps, and I think recommendation 2 is really important from this perspective. This is around providing finance to small operators or even promoting public models of ownership. I found the evidence from the Ger-y-Gors community forum to be particularly inspiring, and an example of when the right community with the right skills could come together to deliver the right solution. I think there are a lot of lessons for us to take from this. It's good that the Welsh Government has accepted this recommendation in principle, and I look forward to their exploration of funding and ownership models in the context of the successor to Superfast Cymru. It's a little over six years since the United Nations declared access to the internet to be a fundamental human right. As the UN notes, in its ability to promote self-expression, the internet is key to a range of human rights and to the progress of society as a whole. Similarly, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has made the case for the role of digital technologies in tackling poverty. Again, this refers to the ways it can empower the most disadvantaged in society, as well as offering practical solutions out of poverty. Let us not forget the consequences of people needing to apply for universal credit online too. That's why I think the committee's recommendation 4 is fundamentally important. Improving digital infrastructure can and must run alongside community empowerment. Part of the frustration felt by the Coed Dyffryn residents was that they believed they were being ignored. We must therefore ensure the hardest-to-reach communities and individuals are now engaged in the process to ensure that potential solutions can be tailored to their needs. But communities must also be at the heart of our approach to issues like planning and physical infrastructure. Sharing masts or siting them in the best place for local residents can provide peace of mind to people in areas like Bryntirion, also in the Cynon Valley. I hope that these needs can be considered as future models for delivery are developed.
Welsh: Fel aelod o'r Pwyllgor Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau, hoffwn gofnodi pa mor bwysig oedd yr adroddiad hwn yn fy marn i mewn gwirionedd. Rwy'n diolch i bawb a ddaeth i roi tystiolaeth i'n hymchwiliad. Ers cael fy ethol, mae un o'r materion mwyaf anodd rwyf wedi gorfod ymdrin ag ef yn fy mag post yn ymwneud â darpariaeth rhyngrwyd mewn adeiladau domestig. Mae un enghraifft o'r fath yn ymwneud â phentref Penderyn yn fy etholaeth, ac roedd hwn yn bwnc a ddaeth gerbron y Pwyllgor Deisebau y llynedd. Ers hynny rwyf wedi dod ar draws enghreifftiau rhy fynych o eiddo ymddangosiadol ynysig yn cwympo drwy fylchau yn y ddarpariaeth, ond efallai mai'r hyn a'm synnodd fwyaf oedd achos ystâd newydd Coed Dyffryn yng Nghwm-bach. Adeiladwyd yr ystâd tua phedair blynedd yn ôl gan Persimmon, a byth ers hynny mae trigolion wedi cael eu dal mewn man gwan yn nhir neb. Wrth symud i'w heiddo newydd canfu'r trigolion fod ganddynt wasanaeth hynod o annigonol a oedd yn ei gwneud bron yn amhosibl gweithio, astudio neu siopa hyd yn oed. Dywedodd un etholwr wrthyf sut y byddai'n rhaid iddo yrru i archfarchnad leol er mwyn defnyddio eu Wi-Fi i redeg ei fusnes, ac nid oedd neb eisiau helpu. Roedd Persimmon yn beio BT. Mae BT yn beio Persimmon. Cynghorodd Llywodraeth y DU y preswylwyr i ddefnyddio cyllido torfol er mwyn dod o hyd i ateb. Rwy'n falch o ddweud bod fy ymyrraeth wedi arwain at benderfyniad yn ôl pob golwg. Mae Openreach wedi cytuno i fuddsoddi'r cyfalaf sydd ei angen i gwblhau'r gwaith o gysylltu'r cabinet gwag yn rhwystredig o agos at y tai newydd. Dylai trigolion Coed Dyffryn allu elwa o'r diwedd o gyflymderau cyflym iawn cyn diwedd y flwyddyn. Hoffwn gofnodi fy niolch i'r Gweinidog Sgiliau a Gwyddoniaeth ar y pryd am ei chefnogaeth i ddatrys yr achos hwn, a chofnodi pa mor falch wyf fi o'i gweld yn cadw'r cyfrifoldeb dros seilwaith digidol. Mae ei sylwadau rhagweithiol yn y pwyllgor yr wythnos diwethaf mewn perthynas â galluogi ACau i wneud pethau'n iawn dros eu hetholwyr, i'w croesawu, ond yr hyn a wnaeth yr enghraifft hon yn arbennig o rwystredig oedd y ffaith nad ystâd o dai anghysbell oedd hon. Yn hytrach, ardal drefol oedd hi rhwng Aberdâr ac Aberpennar. Yn erbyn y cefndir hwn o waith achos euthum ati i gynnal ymchwiliad y Pwyllgor Economi, Seilwaith a Sgiliau i'r seilwaith digidol yng Nghymru. Fel y cawsom ein hatgoffa gan y Cadeirydd, er gwaethaf yr heriau daearyddol a demograffaidd neilltuol yng Nghymru, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi llwyddo i sicrhau bod gan 24 o bob 25 eiddo yng Nghymru fynediad at Cyflymu Cymru. Mae hwn yn gyflawniad aruthrol, ond ni allwn anghofio am y pumed eiddo ar hugain. Roedd y rhwystredigaeth a brofodd fy etholwyr yn amlwg, ac mae hon yn ffenomen gyffredin ymhlith y rhai sydd ar eu colled. Mae angen i ni weld atebion beiddgar i lenwi'r bylchau, a chredaf fod argymhelliad 2 yn bwysig iawn o ran hynny. Mae'n ymwneud â darparu cyllid i weithredwyr bach neu hybu modelau cyhoeddus o berchnogaeth hyd yn oed. Roeddwn yn credu bod y dystiolaeth o fforwm gymunedol Ger-y-Gors yn arbennig o ysbrydoledig, ac yn enghraifft o sut y gall y gymuned gywir gyda'r sgiliau cywir ddod ynghyd i ddarparu'r ateb cywir. Credaf fod yna lawer o wersi i ni eu dysgu o hyn. Mae'n dda fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi derbyn yr argymhelliad hwn mewn egwyddor, ac rwy'n edrych ymlaen at eu harchwiliad o fodelau ariannu a pherchnogaeth yng nghyd-destun olynydd i Cyflymu Cymru. Mae ychydig dros chwe blynedd ers i'r Cenhedloedd Unedig ddatgan fod mynediad at y rhyngrwyd yn hawl dynol sylfaenol. Fel y mae'r Cenhedloedd Unedig yn ei nodi, yn ei allu i hyrwyddo hunanfynegiant, mae'r rhyngrwyd yn allweddol i amryw o hawliau dynol ac i ddatblygiad cymdeithas yn ei chyfanrwydd. Yn yr un modd, mae Sefydliad Joseph Rowntree wedi dadlau'r achos dros rôl technolegau digidol ar gyfer trechu tlodi. Unwaith eto, mae hyn yn cyfeirio at y ffyrdd y gall rymuso'r bobl fwyaf difreintiedig mewn cymdeithas, yn ogystal â chynnig atebion ymarferol allan o dlodi. Gadewch i ni beidio ag anghofio'r canlyniadau i bobl sydd angen gwneud cais am gredyd cynhwysol ar-lein hefyd. Dyna pam y credaf fod argymhelliad 4 y pwyllgor yn sylfaenol bwysig. Mae gwella seilwaith digidol yn gallu ac yn gorfod mynd law yn llaw â grymuso cymunedau. Rhan o rwystredigaeth trigolion Coed Dyffryn oedd eu bod yn credu eu bod yn cael eu hanwybyddu. Felly, mae'n rhaid i ni sicrhau bod y cymunedau a'r unigolion sydd fwyaf anodd eu cyrraedd bellach yn rhan o'r broses o sicrhau y gellir teilwra atebion posibl i'w hanghenion. Ond mae'n rhaid i gymunedau fod wrth wraidd ein hymagwedd tuag at faterion fel cynllunio a seilwaith ffisegol hefyd. Gall rhannu mastiau neu eu lleoli yn y lle gorau ar gyfer trigolion lleol roi tawelwch meddwl i bobl mewn ardaloedd fel Bryntirion, sydd hefyd yng Nghwm Cynon. Gobeithiaf y gellir ystyried yr anghenion hyn wrth ddatblygu modelau ar gyfer cyflawni yn y dyfodol.