The promise of ultrafast internet is exciting—no buffering, quick downloads, and smooth video calls. But before you imagine a smart techie swapping in a new router, there’s more to the story. Emily Hewitt, Ogi’s Senior Build Manager, shares what it really takes to bring full fibre broadband to your home. Spoiler: it’s not just about changing routers.
Imagine laying tracks for an underground railway – well, installing fibre optic cables isn’t far off. There can be a lot of digging and drilling to place cables underground. We have to make our way around water pipes, gas lines, and electric cables. It’s a logistical puzzle, but one we’re used to solving.
In Porth, we laid 12km of ducts and nearly 52km of fibre cable. But progress wasn’t always smooth. A car park dispute delayed us by six months, but now resolved, Porth has quickly become one of our best-performing areas.
Laying fibre optics is precise work. These cables carry data at the speed of light, and even small kinks can slow things down. Our engineers carefully route each cable to minimise signal loss. Every bend is calculated to make sure top performance once the network is live.
In Dinas Powys, we handled challenges like the railway crossing at Elm Grove Place with precision. Co-operation with local authorities and the community kept things running smoothly. The community engagement stood out for me. I loved volunteering to beautify gardens and church grounds.
A fibre network isn’t a simple line from a provider – like Ogi – to your home. It’s a web of connections. Cables link to nodes and exchanges that manage internet traffic. Configuring these nodes is like setting up the network’s brain—everything has to work together, and perfectly.
The “last mile” connects homes to the network. This part can be tricky because each home is different. Technicians deal with issues like inaccessible areas or private property restrictions. It’s often the hardest part of the job.
In Llantwit Major, accessibility and underground challenges kept things interesting. I remember, almost every day brought new challenges that needed quick problem-solving.
Once the network is built, it’s time to test. Engineers check signal strength – how bright the light is, speed, and reliability. They troubleshoot any issues to make sure the service is flawless by the time it reaches you.
We even go as far as to install the very first local customer in our cabinet. User one, as we like to call them, isn’t a physical customer, but the set up is just the same. It means we can always test the local network as if we’re sitting right next to you.
Building a full fibre network is more than just plugging in a new router. It’s a complex task involving engineering, precision, and problem-solving. If your area is waiting for our full fibre rollout, remember that the upgrades are worth the inconvenience. In the end, ultra-fast, reliable internet is a game-changer – and we’re bringing it to your doorstep as fast as we can!
