Trenches Law partnered with Ogi – a Wales based internet company set on keeping communities across Wales ‘up to speed’ – to support the delivery of its ambitious full fibre project. Our expertise saw the management of the complex wayleave process, covering 150,000 homes and business spanning right across south Wales.
About Ogi
Ogi is a cutting-edge full fibre internet company based in Wales. Serving communities across south Wales such as Rhoose, St Athan, and Abergavenny, it’s on a mission to bring next generation connectivity to the places, and the people, that make Wales.
The challenge
Ogi set its sights on the task of connecting 150,000 homes and businesses to ultrafast 10Gb-cabable speeds by 2025. This would involve a £200 million full fibre broadband roll-out, which would inevitably disrupt local communities right across south Wales.
The company began installing a gigabit-capable, Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network in Haverfordwest, Rhoose, Llantwit Major, St Athan, and Abergavenny. It would need a trustworthy partner to handle on-site negotiations, liaising with bodies such as developers, local authorities, freeholders, private landowners, and housing associations.
Client Services Manager at Trenches Law, Sarah Cryer, headed up the process, commenting: “By focusing on communities and areas that haven’t had access to full fibre broadband before now, Ogi is providing people with new and often improved choice when it comes to connectivity.”
The solution
A strong supply chain with good relationships at its core would get this project off the ground. This was evidenced in the successful deployment of an initial high-speed broadband to around 200 premises in south Wales early on in the project.
Trenches Law leveraged its connections with local delivery partnerships in Pembrokeshire, the Vale of Glamorgan, and Monmouthshire. In addition, we worked closely with civil engineering companies including Network Plus, O’Connor Utilities, and Avonline Networks, to facilitate a successful and streamlined delivery of the project.
The team wanted to promote a sustainability-first approach, drawing up essential wayleave agreements and keeping locals informed on updates. They worked with stakeholders, strategic partners, and eco-friendly supply chains for a successful transition.
Ben Allwright, Chief Executive Officer at Ogi, said: “We’ve been fortunate enough to be able to work harder, smarter, cleaner, and more sustainably – thanks to those committed and collaborative relationships. And we’re proud to be supporting and creating skilled jobs here in Wales in the process.”
The results
In just 12 months, Trenches Law’s wayleave agreements have managed to connect 200 premises across south Wales. This is phase one of a larger project, which will connect thousands of homes and businesses over the coming years.
The new developments have also spelt success for the local economy. More than 130 new highly-skilled jobs have been created across the region – offering a vital cash injection to the country’s rural communities. Ogi looks forward to propagating gigabit-capable broadband across south Wales over the next few years. All development contracts currently in progress are utilising existing telecoms ducts and poles for a better environmental footprint, as well as a lower impact on local communities.
Steve Cooper, Chief Delivery Officer at Ogi, commented: “Trenches Law quickly embraced our requirements, to deliver the pragmatic solutions that help us maximise the number of customers we can serve. The team has responded well when asked to ramp-up capacity, and at the same time continued to provide excellent wayleave and legal advice.
“Partnering with them is another step in facilitating the delivery of our first-class gigabit-capable network, which provides Wales with the significant economic and social benefits that it deserves.”
