‘Smart towns’ digital boost for rural communities and businesses in mid and South Wales

ANTUR CYMRU ENTERPRISE is supporting rural communities by enhancing digital communication and connectivity across mid and south Wales post-pandemic.

Telemat IT Support, based at the organisation’s Antur Teifi Business Park in Newcastle Emlyn, has won contracts to install IoT (Internet of Things) and LoRaWAN technology in a bid to support local authority aspirations for a network of ‘Smart Towns’ focused on economic growth.

Carmarthenshire’s 10 rural market towns will have IoT applications developed and Brecon, Llanwrtyd Wells, Presteigne, Aberaeron, Llandysul, Lampeter, New Quay and Tregaron will all have Town Wi-Fi installed.

Business Development Manager Kevin Harrington said: “Telemat is delighted to be supporting the roll-out and uptake of Internet of Things applications and Town Wi-Fi.

“Developing Smart Towns technologies will help local authorities and town councils and traders gather important visitor data and provide better services to the public.”

He added: “High streets have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and recent inflationary pressures.

“As our parent company Antur Cymru is a social enterprise, this project fits well with our strategic goal of supporting economic development in rural parts of Wales.”

Antur Cymru has also been working with Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Torfaen, and Vale of Glamorgan local authorities to install Welsh Government-funded Cisco Meraki cloud-based systems that can measure footfall and customer trends in town centres, providing pivotal data that will feed into future retail strategies.

“These regions are moving forward as pioneers in developing these methods,” added Kevin.

“The results will enable local authorities and planners to identify what is and isn’t working, how challenges can be overcome and bring about positive change that will have a knock-on effect for businesses and their local economies.”

Telemat’s mission is to deliver a comprehensive bilingual IT service across Wales, encompassing hardware and software solutions for the benefit of homes and organisations in the private and public sectors, including business Wi-Fi, remote worker IT solutions and helpdesk support.

Bronwen Raine, Managing Director of Antur Cymru, said these latest developments reinforce Telemat’s commitment to the future proofing of industry.

“Digital connectivity and instant communication are vital in today’s society, not just for businesses but all services and individuals to go about their daily lives, personally and professionally,” she added.

“Securing this work confirms Telemat’s position as a leader in its field and the role it will play in bringing rural communities in line with other areas of the UK for generations to come.”