From vinyl records to old-school cameras, retro is making a comeback – and now, Ogi is joining in with a playful nod to the early days of getting online – with the launch of dial-up service.
Ogi Dial-up is a throwback to a time when connecting to the internet felt like an event in itself. You heard it before you saw it, the connection took its time – and if someone in the house picked up the phone, well, you had to start all over again.
It was memorable – and for plenty of people across Wales, that early version of the internet still holds a certain charm.
That is the thinking behind Ogi Dial-up. Part nostalgic throwback, part gentle pushback against the pace of always-on life – the antidote to it all. Slow down, savour the buffering, and enjoy a digital detox: one pixel at a time.
“Retro is everywhere,” said Ogi’s Sales and Marketing Director, Sarah Vining. “In music, vinyl continues its remarkable comeback, with 6.7 million vinyl albums sold in the UK in 2024 – up 9.1% on the year before and the highest total in three decades.”
At the same time, there is growing evidence that people are looking for a healthier relationship with life online. Ofcom says UK adults now spend an average of 4 hours 30 minutes online each day, while research from EY found that 38% of UK consumers are concerned about too much screen time and are keen on a digital detox. Among 18 to 34-year-olds, nearly half said their online activity feels more disruptive than beneficial to their wellbeing.
For Ogi, that makes Dial-up more than a nostalgic wink – reflecting a broader mood – a fondness for things with a bit more personality, and a sense that not every part of life has to be instant.
Sarah added: “Not everything has to be faster, louder or more instant to be enjoyable – sometimes the appeal is exactly the opposite.
“We’ve seen people fall back in love with vinyl, retro gaming, old cameras and all sorts of familiar favourites from way back when. Ogi Dial-up is our own nod to that revival – and to a time when getting online felt exciting, slightly unpredictable and, somehow, a bit more special.”
Ogi Dial-up celebrates the era of chunky keyboards, family computers in the corner of the living room, and internet sessions that felt like an occasion rather than background noise. It is for the retro enthusiasts who miss the ritual of it all, for younger audiences discovering the aesthetic for the first time, and for anyone who thinks modern broadband is just a bit too… efficient.
“Ogi Dial-up is a bit of fun, yes – but it also speaks to something genuine. People are taking another look at the things they loved, the things they missed, and the things that felt a little more human the first time around.” Sarah said.
So, while the rest of the world races towards faster, smarter and more invisible technology, Ogi Dial-up helps people pause for a moment and enjoy the noise, the nostalgia and the unhurried pleasure of the early world wide web – after all, some things really are worth the wait.
