Sophia Gardens has seen some memorable innings over the years – and now it’s got the connectivity to match.
Home to Glamorgan County Cricket Club, the iconic ground next to the river taff has long been one of Cardiff’s most recognisable landmarks. Ask any regular Glammy-goer and they’ll tell you the cricket has always been great – but getting a signal, less so. On a matchday, with thousands of devices competing for connection, sharing a photo could take longer than the over itself.
That’s all changed now, thanks to Ogi’s connectivity and wifi upgrade at the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club and Welsh Fire. Staff and supporters now get fast, reliable wifi across the stadium, pavilion, media centre and public areas, from the moment they walk through the gates.
“Stadiums are one of the hardest places you can build a network,” said Danny Bartlett, Network Infrastructure Engineer and project lead. “It’s not about covering the ground – it’s about handling the crowd. Tens of thousands of devices arrive at once, and demand spikes in seconds when a wicket falls. So, we engineered Sophia Gardens around that reality.”
The new network uses wifi 7, the latest generation of wireless technology, alongside dedicated 1Gbps connections – so if one line ever has a problem, the other keeps the ground running. Fan traffic, payments, broadcast and venue systems each run on their own part of the network – so a full house streaming the replay won’t slow down the tills, buffer the TV coverage or stop play analysis.
Ed Rice, Commercial Director at Glamorgan Cricket, said: “It’s been great to partner with Ogi, welcoming the team to Sophia Gardens and working alongside them to implement a brand new infrastructure to help us with the increasing connectivity demand on a matchday. From payments, broadcast feeds, ticketing, and all the systems that keep the venue running, every bit of it depends on the smooth running of the network. We’re excited to see the partnership with Ogi grow and for our fans to enjoy improved connectivity around Sophia Gardens.”
The upgrade makes Sophia Gardens one of the most digitally capable venues in Wales, with infrastructure ready for whatever comes next – from in-seat ordering to enhanced replays and second-screen content.
Sally-Anne Skinner, Ogi’s Chief Executive Officer, added: “This is what Ogi’s here to do – take on the connectivity challenges others walk past, for the places that matter to Wales.
“Sophia Gardens is a Welsh institution, and it deserves world-class infrastructure behind it. Delivering that with a Welsh team, for a Welsh venue, in one of the trickiest environments going – we’re incredibly proud of that.
“And this is just the start. What we’ve built here shows what’s possible for venues right across the country.”
So next time you’re at the cricket, go ahead – stream the replay or share that six the moment it lands. The signal’s finally playing ball.
