An IT firm in Newcastle Emlyn has won a number of contracts as part of plans to create a network of ‘smart towns’ in mid- and south- Wales.
Telemat IT Support, which is owned by Antur Cymru Enterprise and based in Antur Teifi Business Park, will roll-out Internet of Things (IoT) and LoRaWAN technology to improve digital communications in Welsh rural market towns to boost economic growth post-pandemic.
The project will see Carmarthenshire’s 10 rural market towns will have IoT applications developed.
While 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.
These systems will measure footfall and customer trends in town centres, providing pivotal data that will feed into future retail strategies.
Mr Harrington added: “These regions are moving forward as pioneers in developing these methods. 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 will deliver a comprehensive bilingual IT service across Wales, encompassing hardware and software solutions for homes and organisations in the private and public sectors, including business Wi-Fi, remote worker IT solutions and help desk support.
Bronwen Raine, managing director of Antur Cymru, said: “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.
“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.”
