SIRO Now a Serious Challenger to Eir in Fibre Arms Race

The Irish Times, July 26 2019, Eoin Burke-Kennedy When it launched in 2015, SIRO’s focus was on regional towns with poor broadband. The ESB’s joint venture with Vodafone, a surprise addition to the State’s increasingly complex telecoms landscape, was targeting, what it saw, as a major gap in the market. About a million people live in the Republic’s 50 biggest towns. Most of these towns, back then, were in so-called broadband blackspots with residents reduced to patchy or low-grade connectivity. Places like Navan, Sligo, Dundalk fell between between two stools. They had been neglected by the investment-starved incumbent Eir and ignored by the new wave of providers whose focus was on the high-value urban markets. They also fell outside the scope of the State-backed National Broadband Plan(NBP).

Fibre Offers Higher Speeds than Ever Before

SIRO’s mandate was to build a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network into these areas using the ESB’s network – the fibre optic cables can be hung off the ESB lines without compromising the electrical current. Fibre offers much higher connection speeds and a more reliable throughput of data than fixed line DSL or mobile. With €250 million pledged from its backers and a direct line into every household in the State, via the ESB, it was a gilt-edged chance to jump in and take a big slice of the telecoms pie. So how well has it done? “In three years, we’ve gone from zero to quarter of a million homes,” SIRO boss John Keaney says, noting Eir has similar metrics even though “it’s being going for years”. Both companies are locked in a fibre arms race and Keaney wastes no time getting a dig in. “From a standing start that’s a significant build,” he says. “When we started, we had just the agreement that we could access the electrical infrastructure, that was it, there were no people, there were no contracts, there were no systems, no customers.

SIRO Expands to the New Herbert Building in Carrickmines

Keaney takes me on a tour of SIRO’s new high-spec office in the Herbert Building, the largest of four office blocks in The Park development in Carrickmines, south Dublin. The main open-plan area is emblazoned with screens, showing order numbers, homes passed, appointments for installs and maps of live towns. One shows SIRO customers are consuming on average 350 gigabytes of data per month, equivalent to over 200 hours of video streaming, reflective of where the market is going. Having initially hired 60 people, SIRO now has 140 but most are out in the field, says Keaney. You can’t lay fibre sitting in an office, he quips.

Fibrehoods

When contractors are included, there are about 6,000 people involved in the telco’s fibre rollout, which now extends to 45 towns or “fibrehoods” as the company labels them. When Keaney says 250,000 homes have been passed, he means that these homes now have access to SIRO’s technology through the 10 operators using its platform. In terms of direct customers, it has 45,000, equating to a take-up rate of just 18 per cent. Isn’t that low, particularly given the clamour for better broadband coming from so many of these regions? Low take-up rates were cited as a factor in the spiralling cost of the NBP. “It’s quite a crude percentage,” says Keaney, insisting “take-up takes time”. It typically starts in the mid teens and moves to 25 to 30 per cent within 12 months, he says. “We’ve got towns that are more mature – Dundalk, Letterkenny, Drogheda – that are now in mid 30s,” he says, which appears to be a target zone.

SIRO’s Move to the Inclusion of Cities

What’s noticeable about the company’s latest list of live areas is the inclusion of Swords, Carrickmines, Finglas, Cork city, and Galway city. These are not regional towns. Without flagging it, SIRO has moved into cities, which is a worrying development for rival Eir. Keaney says the company was “taken aback” at how poorly served some of these urban areas were. “While the reported average speed in these locations might be high, when you drill down into specific areas the local experience can be quite poor,” he says. “Given the density of homes and businesses, we saw the commercial opportunity and were able to incorporate it into our plans in parallel with our existing build.” He highlights areas like Howth and Foxrock, which he says, have been left behind. And it’s unlikely politicians will be pushing for an NBP for places like Foxrock. Irish telcos work under the assumption that there are two million homes in the State. In terms of homes passed with FTTH, Eir has 300,000, SIRO has 250,000 and National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the vehicle set up to deliver the NBP, will have 540,000. “That leaves one million homes in play,” Keaney says. He predicts SIRO will do 200,000 of these, lifting its homes passed number to 450,000 and giving it a 25 per cent market share. It’s an ambitious target, one that will put it and its parent ESB nose-to-nose with incumbent Eir. Telecoms is a tricky business with big upfront costs as the taxpayer is about to find out with the NBP. “About 90 per cent of the money is in the physical rollout of the fibre,” he says. SIRO’s backers, however, seem happy with its progress to date. It has just secured an additional €200 million in funding from five banks – Natwest, BNP, HSBC, Ulster Bank and Royal Bank of Canada – to finance the next phase of its rollout, one that will deepen its operations in Cork and Galway while extending into areas like Howth, Malahide, Sutton and Ballyogan in Dublin, and to regional towns like Nenagh, Enniscorthy and Donegal. It is the largest FTTH debt-only package raised in Ireland.

Background

Originally from London, Keaney (49) is the son of Irish emigrants and marrying an Irish woman and moving to Ireland – he lives in Wicklow town, surprisingly not yet on SIRO’s to-do list – appears to have been a natural step. He says his extended family is dotted across rural Ireland and are not shy about confronting him with their broadband woes. He was SIRO’s chief financial officer before taking over from outgoing chief executive Sean Atkinson, who was originally from the ESB. The switch is part of a contractual arrangement between the ESB and Vodafone, whereby one person from each entity assumes the chief executive role and chief financial officer, changing after four years. Before SIRO, Keaney was with Vodafone for 10 years, most recently as its financial director. Many can name-check SIRO through its aborted participation in the Government’s stop-start NBP process, now an endless source of controversy. SIRO dropped out in late 2017 having spent several millions on its bid, citing there was no longer a business case for its continued participation. The real reason was, however, the Government’s last-minute deal with Eir, which saw 300,000 homes carved out of the original 840,000 and placed in Eir’s commercial rollout. This queered the pitch for rivals as it removed the quasi-commercial end of the project, upping the per-unit subsidy and lowering potential revenues. Having been coy about admitting its grievance at the time, the company is now more forthcoming, but only marginally. “When we recast for 540,000 (after Eir’s 300,000 had been taken out) it became very difficult to make a competitive business case to stay in,” he says. “I wish the plan every success. I think it’s a hard, slow rollout. I think it’s complicated.” And of the NBP contract itself, which has been criticised as too onerous and overly complex? “ It was a very extensive contract and rightly so as it is taxpayers’ money.” But at close to €3 billion, does he think it’s value for money for the State? “It’s complicated, you’re doing this once, and it is needed, and there’s a social value to the rollout. It’s right that the Government look after the network and the money properly.” Keaney is clearly loathe to criticise the NBP process or its spiralling cost despite SIRO, the market challenger, having fallen out of the process. His reticence is easily explained. The Government, via the ESB, is SIRO’s principal shareholder and the NBP is the Government’s principal communications project. In a strange twist of fate, the Government’s privatisation of Eir in the 1990s starved the State’s communications infrastructure of vital investment at a pivotal moment, when the industry was switching from copper to more advanced conduits like fibre. Now the Government is backing the challenger against an incumbent it once owned. The ghost of Eir’s privatisation is never far away. And what does he make of Eir’s recent intervention, suggesting it could do the NBP for €1 billion, a third of the current estimate, a move that was seen as deeply divisive? “We focus on what we’re doing,” he says.

Emigration

As the son of emigrants, the theme of emigration is close to Keaney’s heart. He sees SIRO as key to addressing the digital divide and keeping rural communities intact. “Irish people emigrating for work has happened for generations, but today what is probably more pronounced is people moving from regional Ireland to our major cities like Dublin,” he says. “ People are always going to travel for work or to see other parts of the world, but it should always be a choice, rather than a necessity. FTTH broadband is fundamentally rewriting the rules of commerce, with gigabit connectivity as important for business as railroads and canals were in the past.” He believes SIRO’s arrival kick-started fibre in Ireland. “If you go back to 2015, no-one talked about fibre. The incumbent wasn’t stepping up to do anything. That’s probably the story around most of Europe, where strong incumbents only do something to improve the life of customers when they have to,” he says, insisting that if Eir had rolled out a fibre network the opportunity for SIRO wouldn’t be there. “When you boil that down, what that means is giving these communities the broadband connectivity to attract investment to their town, give people the opportunity to work remotely and make it attractive for entrepreneurs to set up in their home town rather than moving to a major city,” he says. His tenure in charge of Ireland’s challenger telco promises to be eventful with Eir’s major new shareholder, French telecoms billionaire Xavier Niel, planning to invest €500 million expanding its fibre network in towns and cities, and the Government’s long-awaited NBP scheduled to commence.  

Minister Seán Kyne, Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Islands has launched a new SIRO rollout to provide Galway city with access to the most powerful broadband service in Ireland. The first Galway homes which were connected to the network in Oranmore last week. The Galway rollout will see services powered by SIRO made available to approximately 30,000 premises across Galway city and the surrounding area.  SIRO will invest €20 million in the construction of its Gigabit broadband network, representing what will be the largest single investment that the wholesale broadband operator will make in 2019. The network build will commence from SIRO points of Interconnect in Galway, Oranmore and Moneenageisha to cover 30 clusters in the Galway area bringing access to SIRO’s Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) technology, which is recognised as the gold standard for broadband connectivity internationally and is 100% fibre-optic, with no copper at any point to slow it down.  

Fibre-Optic Cables Straight to the Home

Using the existing ESB network, SIRO builds dedicated fibre-optic cables all the way to the home or business premises, delivering speeds of 1 Gigabit per second or 15 times faster than the average broadband speeds in Ireland.  For context, downloading a high definition (HD) film of 4 GB (Gigabytes) with a 10 Mbps connection takes an hour - with SIRO it takes 30 seconds. Given the changes in how businesses and consumers access and use data and content, FTTB is now the fastest growing segment of the Irish broadband market with connections more than doubling since the start of 2018 from 50,000 to 108,000. FTTB is a key enabler of smart cities, the internet of things (IoT) and homeworking. The TLI Group, which has already delivered Carrigaline, Limerick, Tralee, and Killarney and is currently working in another 6 towns across Cork and Tipperary, has been appointed build delivery partner for the Galway roll out. Welcoming the announcement, Minister Seán Kyne said the investment in Galway by ESB and Vodafone through SIRO is a direct result of the Government’s policies on broadband which have included enabling the use of the ESB network for telecommunications. Gigabit connectivity will have a transformative effect on Galway as Fibre-to-the-Building is recognised as the gold standard for broadband internationally. As a result, this will give Galway businesses a head start against their peers both at home and internationally, as well as giving homes access to the latest digital services.” John Keaney, CEO of SIRO, added: “Our Gigabit connectivity will complement Galway’s rich technology heritage and put it on a par with international cities like Hong Kong and Tokyo in terms of broadband quality. SIRO is proud to help power a digital transformation in the city benefiting residents and businesses alike by introducing a new fibre era and switching off the old legacy copper network.”  

High-Speed Broadband is Attracting Investors to Galway

Speaking at the launch Mark Gantly, Senior R&D Director HP Enterprise, President of the American Chamber of Commerce, also said: “The availability of high speed internet connections are increasingly demanded by Foreign Direct Investors (FDI) looking to locate in regional Ireland. SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic broadband will future proof Galway City’s broadband requirements for generations.” Speaking at the launch, Galway Chamber President Dave Hickey added: “Given the strong growth of sectors such as financial services, medtech, ICT, and cyber security in Galway, it is absolutely essential that business is supported by the best quality connectivity. We have low latency transatlantic connection and now we have the local connectivity to match. It builds further resilience for an economy increasingly driven by data.” Mayor of Galway City Cllr. Mike Cubbard added: “Galway city is well placed to leverage this with new office space due to come on-stream over the next year, rental prices half the price of equivalent space in Dublin on average; a lower cost of living; and a talented workforce with 53% of the city’s population under 35 years of age.” 10 retailers now offer services powered by SIRO’s Gigabit broadband network to homes and businesses in 45 towns across the country. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland.  SIRO has formed partnerships with 10 operators – Vodafone, Digiweb, Sky, BT, Carnsore Broadband, Rocket Broadband, Kerry Broadband, eNet, Airwire and WestNet – with more retailers expected to come on board as the company drives competition in the wholesale broadband market.

If you’re a home-owner or an SME with monitored alarm systems, you might wonder if changing broadband services will affect your alarm monitoring. The great news is that in the majority of cases, you can get SIRO broadband installed even if you have a monitored alarm is in place. This article provides the answers to the most frequently asked questions we have received on the topic. What are the main types of alarms? There are four common types of monitored alarm systems as listed in the table below. Most panels installed in the last 5 years use GSM monitoring which have no issues inter-operating with SIRO-powered broadband. For example, all panels installed by Phonewatch since 1 November 2013 use GSM monitoring. How can I check what type of alarm I have? You should ring your alarm monitoring company (Phonewatch, Homesecure, etc.) and check whether the panel uses a landline or a GSM connection. There is unfortunately no easy way to determine whether an alarm panel uses a landline simply by looking at the panel.  What can I do if my alarm uses a landline? If the alarm system uses a landline, you have two choices if you want to move to SIRO:

• Change the system to use a GSM card (preferred); or
• Keep the landline in place as well as the SIRO-powered broadband. This will mean that you continue to pay for the monthly rental of the landline

How do I upgrade a panel that uses a landline to a GSM connection? In most cases a panel can be upgraded from landline to GSM by the alarm company. This will allow you to cancel their landline if it is not required for other services. What is the cost of changing a panel to use GSM? This depends on the alarm company and your contract. In case you are out of contract, the alarm company may provide an upgrade for a discounted price or for free. Could the alarm use the voice point on a broadband modem? Technically, yes! If your SIRO service includes a voice port, the alarm system could use this to communicate. However in practice this is not recommended for two reasons: it would require additional cabling to connect your alarm panel to the operator's modem; and in the event of a power or broadband outage, your alarm would not be monitored. Because of this, alarm companies do not recommend using a voice over IP service for monitoring. Therefore, it is recommended that if your alarm uses a landline for monitoring, you should change it to GSM monitoring prior to installing SIRO; or alternatively you can maintain the existing landline for monitoring as well as the SIRO broadband connection as described above. There you have it – the most frequently asked questions and answers on installing SIRO broadband while having alarm monitoring in place. Now that you’ve done your research and got your peace of mind, why not look up your address to see if you can get SIRO 100% fibre broadband.

If you follow SIRO on social media, you might have noticed that a lot of our posts share one key message: taking a stand against copper broadband, and rightfully claiming our throne as the Gold Standard of Broadband in Ireland. The battle against copper is not just being waged in Ireland, but is ongoing all over Europe. First, let us look at the key distinctions that set 100% fibre a cut above copper-based connections. Copper vs 100% Fibre There are two main technologies used in fibre-optic broadband: Fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) which still uses copper at some points in the network, and Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) with 100% fibre optic cables. FTTC connection is slower (up to 100Mbps), less reliable, and more prone to environmental damage over the years. On the other hand, FTTH is the gold standard of broadband internet, offering speeds of up to 1Gbps. Simply put, a 25GB HD movie would take 3 minutes to download on a FTTH 1Gbps connection, but more than 30 minutes on a FTTC 100Mbps connection (source: FTTH Council Europe). FTTH has also been recognised as the only future-proof solution, as fibre-optics cables are resistant to high temperature, humidity, fire, and other extreme environmental factors. In Ireland, more and more consumers are benefiting from 100% fibre – FTTH is the fastest growing market with an annual growth of 129%, while FTTC connections have declined by 17.6% year-on-year (Comreg data, Q4 2018) Source: Coppersaurus So why the confusion? Unfortunately, a lot of what is being advertised as ‘fibre broadband’ in Ireland is not 100% fibre. For instance, if you have a ‘fibre’ connection with speeds of up to 100Mbps, it is highly likely that your connection includes copper in the last stretch connecting the exchange cabinet on the street and the router in your house. Also, another indicator is if you’re told by a provider you need a phone line for your fibre connection. A phone line is not needed for 100% fibre, which runs along the electricity network. It is however required for copper which uses the traditional telephone network. The confusion caused by misleading advertising is not just limited to Ireland. All over Europe, the battle against ‘fake fibre’ advertising has intensified, with FTTH providers going on the offensive to claim their rightful throne. What is being done? In Italy, starting March 2019, broadband providers are required to specify the fibre technology used in their fibre packages by displaying the colour-coded "F", "FR" or "R" symbol when advertising fibre packages. The green “F” symbol represents 100% FTTH connections, the amber “FR” symbol refers to fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) or fixed-wireless access (FWA) while the red “R” symbol refers to fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) with copper or wireless interconnections (source: telecompaper.com). The new system is put in place so that ‘customers have a clear idea of the expected performance.’, after a number of leading operators were warned over misleading advertising of their fibre packages. In the UK, fibre wholesale provider Cityfibre in 2018 launched their Coppersaurus campaign, which aims to ‘unearth the truth behind hybrid copper-based connections being sold as fibre broadband’. Coppersaurus’ central premise is that this kind of advertising is holding consumers back from the connection they deserve, and changes to advertising rules need to be implemented by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). In Ireland, regulator ASAI is holding public consultations on whether operators are required to specify if their fibre product is 100% fibre, with the outcomes expected to be released in July this year. In the meantime, it is up to the consumers to understand and query their broadband providers, which is no easy task after years of ambiguous advertising. SIRO, as Ireland’s first 100% FTTH network provider and the rightful winner of the Gold Standard Broadband throne, will continue to keep up the fight against copper broadband, so that our consumers can be as informed as possible in their broadband decision.  

Vodafone Ireland has today released data that shows 22,200 people commute to Dublin from Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford each day at the launch of three new SIRO-powered Gigabit hubs in the South East. Using insights gained from the combined Vodafone network performance data and CSO population data analytics, the information provides a clear understanding of the commuter trends along the M7, M9 and M11 and the sheer scale of people commuting to Dublin.  

New Work Junction Hubs

New Work Junction hubs in Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford are the latest to receive free SIRO powered fibre Gigabit connectivity, provided by Vodafone and offered to 13 co-working hubs across the country. By providing high-speed connectivity to hubs in regional towns, the initiative supports local businesses and workers who want to work remotely. Since the launch of the Kilkenny hub in 2015, New Work Junction – a group of co-working centres – has expanded its operations to include Carlow, officially opened today at a special event with Treasa Doran, Vodafone Ireland, Ronan Whelan, SIRO, Vanessa Tierney, Abodoo, Tracy Keogh, Grow Remote and two remote workers speaking.  

Vodafone/SIRO Gigabit Hub Initiative

Launched in 2017, the Vodafone/ SIRO Gigabit Hub Initiative was designed to spark a digital transformation in 15 towns across Ireland and encourage job creation and economic growth. SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic Gigabit connectivity, which is three times as powerful as the best service in Dublin and 10 times more powerful than the fastest average internet speed in Ireland, gives businesses in the three hubs world-class broadband connectivity. Speaking at the event, Head of Commercial at Vodafone Business Ireland Treasa Doran, said: “We are delighted to provide free Gigabit connectivity to three more co-working hubs and see the expansion of our initiative to 13. This initiative is allowing people to work smarter, have a better work/life balance and pursue careers in towns and villages across Ireland. Through our commitment to improve rural connectivity by bringing high-speed broadband to hubs such as New Work Junction, we can try reverse commuting and urban migration trends and help increase productivity by allowing people to work closer to home and spend less time on the road”. The Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, which was the first hub connected by SIRO in July 2016, is an ‘exemplar project’ that has been recognised by the European Commission and is on course to create 500 jobs over the next five years in West Cork.” Ronan Whelan, Chief Commercial Officer SIRO added: “By delivering Gigabit connectivity to these three hubs, we have made remote working a real option for 350 people. This highlights the real difference that 100% fibre-optic broadband can make to people’s lives by saving commuters from sitting in traffic. The rise in hubs like New Work Junction clearly illustrates the huge demand in regional towns for connectivity and thanks to our network Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford have the same level of world-class broadband as leading international hubs like Hong Kong and Tokyo. It forms part of our rollout in the South East, with Gigabit connectivity available to over 23,000 premises in the region to date.” Founder of New Work Junction Tom O’Neill said: “Since I started the New Work Junction hubs in 2015, I’ve noticed that we have a steady number of start-ups and freelancers, but also an ever increasing number of remote workers. I see these remote working hubs as a chance to reduce travel time for the thousands of commuters who make the trip to Dublin from the South East every day”. “We’re keen to be fully engaged in this conversation and appreciate the support of organisations such as Vodafone and SIRO in ensuring we have the high-speed connectivity we need to attract people to our hubs. Together, and with other organisations, we can begin to catalyse the big change that needs to happen towards a re-distributed workforce.” One such company benefiting from the SIRO 1 GB connection is Bórd na Móna.  Speaking about New Work Junction, employee Pat Considine said: “It has been a huge benefit to me overall, not just in terms of saving a two hour commute. I find I get more work done as there are less interruptions and distractions and there is a good work environment and atmosphere with everyone who works there.”

Minister for Education & Skills Joe McHugh TD has announced a new €14 million investment by SIRO in the rollout of its Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) broadband network to six new towns in Donegal - Buncrana, Donegal Town, Ballybofey, Stranorlar, Ballyshannon and Bundoran. This will see over 14,000 homes and premises offered access to Ireland’s fastest broadband network.

Construction Begins in Buncrana

SIRO has already commenced construction, with 1,600 homes and businesses in Buncrana already able to avail of Gigabit connectivity, and preparatory works also already underway in the five other towns. All of the premises will have a 100% fibre-optic connection available, giving them access to the same level of world class broadband in cities like Hong Kong or Tokyo. Stephen O'Connor SIRO's Director of Corporate Affairs, speaks to Highland Radio. The announcement was made by Minister McHugh at an event at Inishowen Gateway Hotel in Buncrana, held in partnership with Donegal County Council, which also saw KN Networks revealed as SIRO’s construction partner for the project. It brings SIRO’s total investment in Co Donegal to €25 million, having already made services powered by the wholesale broadband operator available to 11,000 premises in Letterkenny. There has been a high level of demand already in Letterkenny, with a penetration rate of more than 25% with public interest in services powered by SIRO in Buncrana also very encouraging at this early stage. SIRO has also committed to connect Donegal County Council’s planned Digital Hub in Buncrana as part of Vodafone and SIRO’s national Gigabit Hub Initiative, which offers a 1 Gigabit (1,000 Mbps or Megabits per second) broadband connection to qualifying business hubs in regional towns.  

SIRO rollout expanding from regional towns

SIRO’s rollout originally focused on 50 regional towns, each with over 4,000 premises, across the country. The addition of these six smaller towns to SIRO’s rollout is a pilot for a potential future second phase, which could see the rollout of SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic network expanded further. Commenting about the Donegal rollout, Minister for Education & Skills Joe McHugh TD said: “The Government has been actively encouraging the private sector to invest in delivering high speed broadband to regions across Ireland and today’s announcement is an example of that strategy paying off for Donegal. The investment by SIRO will see the construction in six towns of a Fibre-to-the-Building broadband network, which is recognised as the gold standard for broadband internationally, and is to be applauded. Residents and businesses in Buncrana, Donegal, Ballybofey, Stranorlar, Ballyshannon and Bundoran will have access to the level of connectivity that is available in Tokyo and Hong Kong, so these towns will stand at the top of Ireland’s broadband league.” Cllr Seamus O'Domhnaill, Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council, said: “Broadband is as vital for day-to-day life as electricity and is an absolute necessity for social and economic development in Donegal. Following the successful launch of services powered by SIRO in Letterkenny, the Council has worked very closely with the company to encourage them to invest further and expand their rollout to additional towns, as well as committing to powering the Inishowen Innovation Hub as part of the Gigabit Hubs initiative.  This is a great day for Donegal and we’re very proud to see the Council’s efforts paying off to deliver this milestone.” Stephen O’Connor, SIRO’s Director of Corporate Affairs added: “SIRO has formed a close partnership with Donegal County Council, which has been critical to adding these extra six towns to our network following our original successful launch in Letterkenny. Construction is well underway, with services already live in Buncrana. Simply put, this will have a transformational effect as all 25,000 homes and businesses will have access to Gigabit broadband, which is the international gold standard for broadband connectivity.”  

SIRO is Expanding the Gigabit Hub Initiative

As part of its expanded rollout in Donegal, SIRO has put out a call to business centres in the six towns to register their interest in participating in the Gigabit Hub Initiative, which is run in partnership with Vodafone. The initiative aims to spark a digital transformation by providing Gigabit connectivity to qualifying hubs free of charge for two years. The recipients will receive a 1 Gigabit broadband connection from Vodafone which is powered by SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic network. The aim of the initiative is to replicate the success of the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen which is on course to help create 500 jobs in the West Cork region over the next five years.  

Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal Damien English TD has announced details of a €20 million investment programme in Meath by SIRO, the wholesale broadband operator building Ireland’s only 100% fibre-optic broadband network.  Encouraged by the success of its Navan rollout, where services are already live, SIRO now announces eight new towns for Meath. SIRO will connect Ashbourne, Dunshaughlin, Ratoath, Trim, Dunboyne, Mornington, Laytown and Bettystown to its Fibre-to-the-Building network. As a result, services powered by SIRO will be available to 21,000 homes and business in the county. Commenting about the addition of eight Meath towns to SIRO’s rollout, Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal Damien English TD said: “I have been actively advocating in Government for plans to help accelerate the rollout of high speed broadband across the country, so it is brilliant to see eight new towns in Meath get access to what is regarded as the international gold standard for broadband. Towns like Trim will now be on a par with cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong for broadband connectivity, so the possibilities are endless in terms of residents benefiting from the latest online services and businesses gaining a competitive edge.” Jackie Maguire, Chief Executive of Meath County Council, added: “One of the key aims of Meath County Council’s digital strategy is to help boost the economic and social development of the county through improved digital capabilities. The wider rollout of SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic broadband network, which will now reach nine towns in the county, illustrates how we are delivering on that promise. As a result, we will be able to attract further investment to the county, make remote working a more attractive option for people commuting to work and make innovative services like video consultations with GPs a real possibility.” John McManus, SIRO Build Director, concluded: “We’re delighted to broaden the scope of our rollout, with eight Meath towns added to our plans. SIRO is building Ireland’s only 100 per cent fibre-optic network, which means that anyone in Meath using our services are guaranteed the best broadband experience in the country as there is nothing faster than the speed of light. Considering the data demands in the future due to cloud technology and online streaming services, our Fibre-to-the-Building network means that we are future-proofing these nine towns broadband needs for decades ahead.”  

Expansion of Gigabit Hubs in Meath

As part of its expanded rollout in Meath, SIRO has put out a call to business centres in the eight towns to register their interest in participating in the Gigabit Hub Initiative, which is run in partnership with Vodafone. The initiative aims to spark a digital transformation by providing Gigabit connectivity to qualifying hubs free of charge for two years.  Recipients receive a 1 Gigabit broadband connection from Vodafone which is powered by SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic network. There are currently ten participating Gigabit Hubs nationwide. The aim of the initiative is to replicate the success of the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen which is on course to help create 500 jobs in the West Cork region over the next five years.

SIRO has welcomed Sky Ireland to its family of retail partners offering its Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband, with services now available to order in over 20 towns across the country. As the fastest growing broadband provider in the country, the decision to offer services powered by SIRO supports Sky’s roadmap for increased on-demand content services, which require high broadband bandwidth requirements.  

SIRO Broadband

SIRO, the open-access wholesale broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, has passed over 200,000 premises in its rollout to date. SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic technology is recognised as the gold standard for broadband connectivity internationally and is the fastest growing segment of the Irish broadband market with FTTH connections nearly doubling since the start of 2018 (Source: ComReg Q3 data) Using the existing ESB network, SIRO builds dedicated fibre-optic cables all the way to the home or business. This technology, known as “Fibre-to-the-Home” delivers internet connection speeds of 1 Gigabit per second. SIRO’s Gigabit connectivity is 26 times faster than the average broadband speeds in Ireland. (Source : Ookla Speed Test , Ireland August 2018)  

Sky Ireland Welcomed by SIRO

Welcoming Sky Ireland, SIRO CEO John Keaney said: “We are extremely proud of our partnership with Sky which is another milestone in SIRO’s mission to enable Ireland’s Gigabit Society. The seal of approval by SKY, Europe’s largest entertainment company, is testament to the quality of our network . They recognise how Fibre-to-the-Home broadband is transforming how people access and experience content. Sky customers, who can begin placing orders from today, are guaranteed the best broadband in Ireland.” SIRO is now live in 30 towns across the country, with 10 retailers offering connections to over 200,000 homes and businesses. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland.  SIRO has formed partnerships with 10 operators – SKY Ireland, Vodafone, Digiweb, BT, Carnsore Broadband, Rocket Broadband, Kerry Broadband, eNet, Airwire and WestNet – with more retailers expected to come on board as the company drives competition in the broadband market.

Michelle Mullally appointed as CFO of SIRO

Outgoing CEO Sean Atkinson returns to ESB to head up ESB International 

6 November : John Keaney has been appointed as CEO of SIRO, the joint venture of ESB and Vodafone which is investing €450 million in building Ireland’s first 100% Fibre-to-the-Building broadband network, with outgoing CEO Sean Atkinson taking up a new role as Head of ESB International following a four-year term at SIRO. Prior to his new position, Keaney served as Financial Director at SIRO since 2014. He joined SIRO following a ten-year period with Vodafone where he served in a variety of roles including Head of Financial Operations and Financial Controller. Prior to joining Vodafone in 2004, Keaney was a senior manager with Deloitte. He holds an Economics degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Commenting on the announcement, John Keaney, SIRO CEO said, “I am delighted to take up this new role at this exciting time for the company. SIRO is transforming over 50 regional towns and is helping to enable Ireland’s Gigabit Society. Our network has now passed 200,000 homes and is already having a positive impact on the lives of people in the 30 towns where our services are live.” SIRO’s 1 Gigabit broadband network is now live in 30 towns across the country, with 10 retailers offering connections to 200,000 homes and businesses. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland.  SIRO has formed partnerships with 10 operators – Vodafone, Digiweb, Sky, BT, Carnsore Broadband, Rocket Broadband, Kerry Broadband, eNet, Airwire and WestNet – with more retailers expected to come on board as the company drives competition in the wholesale broadband market. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO delivers fibre optic cables all the way to the building. This 100% fibre optic network has no copper connections at any point to slow it down and delivers 1 Gigabit (1,000 Megabit) internet speeds. This technology, known as “Fibre-to-the-Building” is recognised as the gold standard for broadband connectivity internationally For context, downloading a high definition (HD) film of 4 GB (Gigabytes) with a 10 Mbps connection takes an hour - with SIRO it takes 30 seconds.

Europe’s wholesale-only and open access operators form new alliance to accelerate the roll out of fibre networks

  The Chairmen and CEOs of the leading European full fibre wholesale-only and open access operators, namely CityFibre (UK), Deutsche Glasfaser (Germany), Open Fiber (Italy), Gagnaveita Reykjavikur (Iceland) and SIRO (Ireland), met in Rome in presence of Johannes Gungl, Chair of BEREC (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications) to discuss the future of the telecommunications market and explore opportunities to accelerate the deployment and take-up of full fibre infrastructure across Europe. Wholesale-only operators are fibre network specialists which, in the absence of a retail arm, solely invest in new high-speed open access fibre networks for the benefit of all service providers. This is a proven business model that is now witnessing significant growth in Europe, especially for the deployment of Fibre To The Home (FTTH) and Fibre To The Building (FTTB). Millions of homes and business are set to benefit from the rollouts of transformational full fibre networks, delivering significant economic benefits for the European digital sector. The new European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) expressly encourages wholesale only operators by providing them with a specific, light regulatory regime as they naturally provide access to multiple telecom service providers without discrimination or abuses. For this reason, the wholesale-only model is the ideal vehicle for the roll-out of very high capacity networks as envisaged by the Code, as well as a facilitator of innovative services such as Internet of Things (IOT) and 5G. Given the high costs of constructing new FTTH / FTTB networks, the wholesale only model is the best approach to achieve large scale full fibre infrastructure rollout as it aggregates demand from many service providers who benefit from the very high capacity future proof connectivity. Depending on the market conditions, independent open access operators can facilitate the same goal. Elisabetta Ripa, CEO of Open Fiber, said: “It has been a great pleasure for Open Fiber to host the meeting. The companies gathering in Rome have agreed to create an alliance to share best-practice and to promote the benefits and advantages of the full fiber wholesale-only, which deliver full fiber infrastructure far more efficiently than vertically integrated incumbent operators.” The alliance will work in order to ensure these benefits are duly understood by governments, regulators and financial investors, as well as promoting the awareness of these independent fibre networks to service providers and mobile operators. The alliance also believes it has a role in educating and informing the European consumer about what genuine very high capacity networks are and is challenging the misuse of the word “Fibre” in marketing broadband services that are delivered on legacy copper-based networks. Sean Atkinson, CEO of SIRO said: “SIRO is leading a digital transformation across Ireland and we are always keen to collaborate with our European counterparts. The EU Digital Agenda is ambitious and we believe that the new generation of non-incumbent 100% Fibre companies are best placed to help achieve its goals. We are delighted to be part of this new alliance and look forward to presenting a united voice on the importance of FTTH and FTTB at this important moment for European connectivity.” Greg Mesh, CEO of CityFibre, said: “Wholesale only has been at the heart of CityFibre’s strategy from day one. We are leading the rollout of full fibre infrastructure across the UK, deploying modern digital infrastructure to millions of homes and businesses, empowering all service providers, mobile operators and digital innovators. It is the new generation of fibre infrastructure operators that are building FTTH faster, quicker and cheaper than incumbent legacy operators, and CityFibre welcomes collaboration with our alliance partners across Europe.” Uwe Nickl, CEO of Deutsche Glasfer: "Sharing best practices to speed up deployment and take-up of pure FTTH networks is a crucial factor in achieving the European fiber goals. Together, we can really move." Erling Freyr Guomundsson, CEO of Reykjavik Fiber Network (Gagnaveita Reykjavikur), said: “It has been our mission to provide Icelandic homes with full fiber to be able to be a part of the smart community worldwide. This new alliance will strengthen Reykjavik Fiber Network in its mission, driving better consumer experience for our customers and our wholesale allies’ customers. We are certain that the wholesale open access business model can drive competition and increase the quality of connections. Iceland is one of the fastest countries in the world according to Speedtest.net Global Index, thanks to our one gigabit network that reaches 95% of our customers."