Wales’s leading alternative telecoms provider – Ogi – has revealed plans to bring full fibre connectivity to Tenby, one of Pembrokeshire’s most iconic seaside towns.
Tenby is the latest of over 60 communities across south Wales to benefit from Ogi’s privately backed broadband rollout launched in 2021. Once work to connect around 5,000 premises in the town is complete, Ogi will be the leading alternative choice in much of west Wales – connecting homes and businesses to ultrafast internet long before the likes of Openreach and Virgin Media, who have long dominated the south Wales market.
At the moment, average download speeds in the area peak at 51.2Mbps (12.2Mbps upload) according to Thinkbroadband. Ogi’s Gigabit-capable network will enable homes to access download speeds up to 900Mpbs (90Mbps upload); and businesses to go faster than 2.5Gbps each way for the for the very first time.
One of Wales’s most iconic visitor destinations, Ogi’s network will offer a boost to the Welsh tourism economy, already estimated to be worth around £3billion a year – enabling visitors o Tenby to access the best of both worlds; a traditional seaside experience, alongside access to reliable connectivity for gaming, streaming and even hybrid working.
Ogi propelled onto the scene in 2021, kick-starting a digital revolution across Wales, with some of the nation’s hardest to reach communities benefiting from the latest full fibre technology sooner than planned by the incumbent [Openreach]. The altnet provider is bringing much needed connectivity to post-industrial towns and villages, whilst also putting in place the long-distance backhaul network that’s needed to secure these communities’ access to the wider world.
The company has grown from 20 to more than 210 full time staff, with hundreds more supported through its supply chain over the last two years, with the business now operating from four regional hubs in Newport, Cardiff and St Clears, supporting more staff to live and work from where they choose.
Around 40% of premises in Wales now have access to full fibre connectivity, with Britain in general lagging behind many European countries, where coverage can be well above 90%. Ogi’s latest plan will help another thriving town close the digital divide for good.
Announcing Tenby’s rollout, Ogi’s Chief Executive Officer, Ben Allwright, said: “I’m delighted to be welcoming Tenby – one of Wales’s most iconic seaside towns – to the Ogi network.
“Tourist destinations like Tenby are bursting with potential – and they deserve the best connectivity to help them thrive. As we’re seeing across Pembrokeshire, only Ogi can make that access a reality right now.
“Our network is helping businesses to grow, wherever they are based; supporting people to work closer to where they live; and opening up even more home entertainment choices.”
Surveying work is already underway with activity due to start at street level in the town over the autumn when local construction embargos are lifted. Homes and businesses in the area will be able to access Ogi’s ultrafast service from early 2024.
