Infracapital-backed UK broadband ISP Ogi, which is investing £200m to build a new full fibre (FTTP) network across 150,000 premises in South Wales by 2025, appears to have become one of the first (possibly THE first) alternative network providers to have a high street presence thanks to a new deal with the ‘Get Connection’ retail chain.
Under the deal, the UK’s largest independent mobile phone retailer, Get Connected, will now start offering Ogi’s ultrafast full fibre broadband and voice packages in their high street stores for the very first time. Naturally, this will only occur in areas where Ogi’s network actually exists, which initially reflects stores in high streets across Abergavenny, Chepstow, Haverfordwest and Monmouth.
Both companies anticipate rolling out further as Ogi’s rollout plans progress. The operator, which is now working in parts of over 60 towns and villages across Wales, recently reported that they had covered a total of 60,000 premises to July 2023 (up from 47,500 in March 2023) and had added 6,000 customers “in less than a year” (here).
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Customers of the service can expect to pay from £30 per month for an unlimited plan with downloads of 150Mbps (15Mbps upload) and an included wireless router on a 24-month term, which rises to £60 for their top 900Mbps (90Mbps upload) plan. New customers will also get six months FREE broadband and evening and weekend voice calling.
Ogi’s Chief Revenue Officer, Sally-Anne Skinner, said:
“We’re delighted to be working with Get Connected to bring Ogi to the high street. Working with local companies who share our mission to connect people to their communities is at the heart of everything we do.
Adding to our portfolio of routes to market, including door-to-door, telesales and online, this new partnership is yet another option for our customers, and a welcome boost to the independent high streets across south Wales.”
As to the question of whether or not they’re the first broadband AltNet to have a high street presence, that one is a bit harder to answer. For example, Vodafone, which sells FTTP packages via CityFibre as well as Openreach, could be said to already be doing this via the sale of broadband products inside their stores. Except Vodafone themselves are not an AltNet.
Good for them, good luck, hope it pays off for them.
Not everyone who’s looking for a new internet provider is happy just liaising with a website, some people still prefer the personal touch and why not.
People’s Fibre (Swish) did this. They rented a shop in Braintree a couple of years ago. It didn’t work out well!
Not the first. Swish Fibre did this in Marlow back in 2021.
Opening: https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/19150688.swish-fibre-ready-open-replacing-cath-kidston/
Closing: https://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/23129997.marlow-swish-fibre-hub-closes/
Not convinced of the benefit of this. Most of those towns are small and other operators are already there. Having a shop will just add to costs. Maybe just have a shop or kiosk for a few months when it first goes live
I am sure here are a few people that would prefer to order in a shop but that’s a very small number
Chepstow has a population of about 12,000. Lets say potential take up is 20% that’s 240 if 30% of those were to sign up in a shop that’s under 50
It is a store inside a store by the seems of it, so not their own shop, not that I have ever heard of get connected.
It is helps get customers, then why not.
Zzoomm normally have a small gazebo in our town centre.
Definitely not the first, but it sounds like Ogi will be achieving the greatest reach of all the altnets via this partnership.
Having worked with Swish Fibre to develop the strategy, design and fit of their retail store back in 2020, it’s safe to say that it’s both a huge investment and challenge to make a high street presence work.
I commend any brand that shows commitment to doing things differently to promote the benefits of great connectivity with communities.
Here’s some of the concept work for the Marlow Swish Hub for old time’s sake… https://tinyurl.com/mpnmdb5v