SIRO – Axione & Obelisk Announcement

SIRO Announces €20 Million Investment with joint venture of Axione and Obelisk to Connect 10 Towns to Its Gigabit Network

Minister of State Michael D’Arcy welcomes announcement as boost for the South East Deal will see services powered by SIRO’s Gigabit broadband made available to 35,000 homes and business SIRO, the open-access broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, announced that it has signed a €20 million contract with the joint venture consortium of French Telecoms Infrastructure company Axione and its local Irish, professional engineering services partner, Obelisk. The contract will see Axione and Obelisk connect ten towns – Gorey, Courtown, Enniscorthy, Newtown-Kilcoole, Wicklow, Arklow, Carrickmines, Shankill, Bray and Greystones – to SIRO’s Gigabit broadband network over the next two years. As a result, over 35,000 homes and businesses in the towns will be able to access the most powerful broadband services in Ireland via SIRO’s retail partners. Axione, part of the Bouygues Energies and Services Group, is a major player in digital infrastructure, providing design, build and operating services for mobile and fibre operators and developing public initiative networks (PINs) in partnership with states and public authorities. Over the past 10 years it has installed 22,000km of networks to reduce inequality of internet access in France. As part of the public initiative networks (PINs) led by French local and regional authorities, Axione designs, builds and runs next-generation shared digital infrastructure. The PINs in which Axione is involved represent approximately €2 billion in investment and serve 7 million people, 6,500 municipalities and 310,000 businesses. Ireland joins Gabon and the Ivory Coast as Axione’s third country outside of France. Obelisk is a Cavan based company with its operations centre in Ballycoolin, Dublin. Since its establishment in 1996, it has delivered extensively across the UK and Ireland, growing into a professional, modern, proactive, international company. Obelisk provides solutions and resources to industry across telecommunications, power transmission and distribution, renewable energy and tower infrastructure. Obelisk has already successfully delivered fibre optic infrastructure for SIRO in Drogheda, Balbriggan and Swords, for the past two years as part of the rollout of its Gigabit broadband network. Commenting on the announcement, Minister of State at the Department of Finance with special responsibility for Financial Services and Insurance, Michael D’Arcy said: “In my work as Minister, I see how reliant the growth of financial services are on access to high speed connectivity. One of my priorities in the delivery of IFS2020, the Government’s five year strategy to grow our International Financial Services sector, is the development of the sector across the regions. The rollout of Gigabit broadband through 100% FTTB connections to towns in the South East such as Gorey and Arklow, will put them in the same league as Tokyo and Hong Kong for broadband connectivity. This initiative will increase their attractiveness for foreign direct investment, boost the local economy and make remote working a real possibility for residents in the towns. Fibre broadband is a key component for developing the Smart Economy in the South East and SIRO’s arrival is a very welcome development.” Sean Atkinson, CEO of SIRO, said: “SIRO is future proofing the broadband needs of Irish consumers and businesses with Ireland’s only 100% fibre-optic broadband network. Following a successful trial of 2,000 homes in Bray last year we are delighted to be with Axione whose expertise, combined with that of Obelisk’s successful delivery of over 17,000 homes over the last 2 years, will be vital in achieving this vision in the South East. With over 165,000 homes and businesses already able to access Gigabit broadband services powered by SIRO, we are already seeing tremendous benefits in towns like Skibbereen where O’Donnell Design, a furniture company, has seen their volume of work jump by 25% as their capacity to do business with international hotel chains has been bolstered.” Dominque Astier, Deputy CEO of Axione, commented: “Axione is delighted to be partnering with Obelisk for delivery to SIRO of 100% fibre-optic broadband to these 10 towns, designing and building a network that will meet the requirements of local communities and businesses for decades ahead. We are committed to bringing the expertise we have gleaned in France to Ireland to help contribute to the construction of SIRO’s network, which is first of its kind in Europe." Declan O’Neill, Obelisk Group CEO, said: “Obelisk is delighted to be partnering with Axione for delivery to SIRO on this project, which is one of the most innovative of its kind across Europe. As an Irish company, we are delighted to bring our international learnings to bear, having developed a specialized workforce of engineers and support staff after growing our business over the past number of years.” Using the existing ESB network, SIRO is delivered through fibre optic cables which run alongside existing electricity connections, all the way to the building. This technology, known as fibre to the home (FTTH), has no copper connections at any point to slow down the network and delivers 1 Gigabit download and upload speeds. For context, when downloading a high definition film (4 Gigabytes) with a 10 Mbps connection, the download time is an hour - with SIRO it takes approximately 30 seconds. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland. SIRO has formed partnerships with Vodafone, Sky Ireland, Carnsore Broadband, Digiweb, Rocket Broadband, Airwire, Kerry Broadband and WestNet, with more retailers expected to come on board as the company drives competition in the wholesale broadband market.

Ireland joins the European FTTH League Table

Our CEO, Sean Atkinson recently joined a panel of CEOs from FTTH operators in Sweden, Italy and the UK at the annual Fibre To The Home (FTTH) Conference in Valencia where he discussed SIRO Ireland’s only 100% fibre optic network and outlined SIRO's network roll out progress. The highlight of the FTTH Conference was the publication of the 2018 Market Panorama with the exciting announcement that Ireland is now part of the European FTTH league table, joining the group of countries that have a minimum of 1% of households subscribing to a 100% Fibre To The Home service. According to the Market Panorama report, Ireland had 30,000 pure fibre connections or household FTTH subscribers, up from 20,000 in June, making FTTH the fastest growing broadband segment in Ireland*. SIRO is Ireland’s only 100% fibre optic network and has played a significant role in joining the European Club. Designing and building in 30 towns with over 125,000 homes passed, SIRO has laid 2,100km of fibre optic cable. With services live in over 20 towns, SIRO is the gold standard for broadband connectivity internationally. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO is delivered by fibre optic cables all the way to the building. This technology, known as Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB), has no copper connections at any point to slow down the network and delivers 1 Gigabit download and upload speeds. SIRO service is live in over 20 towns including Athlone, Carlow, Carrigaline, Castlebar, Cavan, Clay Farm, Dundalk, Drogheda, Ennis, Finglas, Kilkenny, Letterkenny, Limerick, Mallow, Mullingar, Naas, Newbridge, Portlaoise, Skibbereen, Tralee, Tyrellstown, Westport and Wexford, while build is advanced in many other towns including Balbriggan and Swords. To check availability in your home or business, visit our availability checker. Sign up for monthly service and build updates HERE. *ftthconference.eu/

SIRO and Huawei Successfully Trial 10 Gigabit Broadband in Ireland

SIRO and global ICT leader, Huawei have successfully showcased the power of Ireland's first 100% fibre-optic broadband network by testing a technology known as XGS-PON on SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic network, delivering speeds of up to 10 Gigabits per second. This technology is the roadmap of SIRO services, which will future proof Ireland broadband requirements for generations. The successful trial is the result of the ongoing partnership between SIRO and Huawei, with the global ICT leader’s technology playing a key role in SIRO’s plans to deliver a new era in Ultra-Broadband speeds never before seen in Ireland. With trials of the XGS-PON technology continuing, it is envisaged that it would appeal to businesses with high data demands such as hi-tech multinationals or banks. Ronan Whelan, SIRO Commercial Director, said, “What is exciting about this trial is that these blistering fast speeds have been obtained using the exact same network that carries SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic broadband services to homes and businesses across Ireland. All we are doing is changing the electronics at either end, with no further construction required. To put this capability into perspective, a 10 Gigabit broadband connection would be able to transfer 1 Gigabit of data in 0.8 seconds. That’s a movie downloaded in a second. We see the speed & reliability limitations of copper networks & this trial proves how important fibre network rollouts are to provide the platform for growth in Ireland. SIRO can & will evolve towards Multi Gigabit speeds as and when our customers demand it in the future. We are Ready for it.” Mr. Jijay Shen, Huawei Ireland General Manager, said, “Huawei was first to industry with a commercial symmetric 10G GPON solution, demonstrating the maturity of our symmetrical XGS-PON technology, which helps upgrade enterprise private networks to gigabit access networks. We are working with SIRO to design a network that will meet the requirements of local communities and businesses, making sure that it’s not just the fastest speeds today, but that we can continue to lead the way and deliver the very best broadband connectivity to the people of Ireland in the future.” With over 120,000 premises passed in 25 towns, SIRO’s 100% fibre optic broadband network is transforming regional towns across Ireland, helping attract foreign direct investment, while encouraging local entrepreneurship and allowing more people to live and work within their local community. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO is delivered through fibre optic cables which run alongside existing electricity connections, all the way to the building. This technology, known as Fibre-to-the-Building, has no copper connections at any point to slow down the network and delivers 1 Gigabit download and upload speeds. For context, when downloading a high definition film (4 Gigabytes) with a 10 Mbps connection, the download time is an hour - with SIRO it takes approximately 30 seconds. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland, with Vodafone, Sky, Digiweb, Carnsore Broadband, Rocket Broadband, WestNet, Airwire and Kerry Broadband all already offering services, along with partnerships with enet and BT as SIRO drives competition in the wholesale broadband market.

Landmark Partnership Between SIRO & Sky To Deliver Gigabit Broadband to Irish Market

SIRO, the open-access wholesale broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, announces today that it is partnering with Sky Ireland to deliver high speed fibre services to consumers in 2018. The partnership is the latest investment by Sky in its infrastructure in Ireland as part of its strategy to ensure that its customers can avail of the highest broadband speeds across the country. Having established a broadband subscriber base of 180,000 customers since entering the Irish broadband market in 2013, Sky Ireland has added more net subscriptions during this period than any other broadband retailer, making it 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 all require high broadband bandwidth requirements. SIRO’s fibre technology is recognised as the gold standard for broadband connectivity internationally and is 100% fibre-optic. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO services are delivered by fibre-optic cables all the way to the home. This technology, known as Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH), can deliver download speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second. SIRO’s Gigabit connectivity is three times faster than the best service available in Dublin (350 Mbps) and 10 times more powerful than the fastest average internet speed in Ireland. Commenting on the new partnership, Sean Atkinson, SIRO CEO, said: “Consumer interest in on-demand content is skyrocketing, which means that households need more powerful broadband connectivity if they want to enjoy the future of entertainment. SIRO is building the only 100% fibre-optic network in Ireland, which means that people using our services are guaranteed the best broadband experience in the country as there is nothing faster than the speed of light. We’re very proud in this respect that Sky has chosen to partner with us to help fulfil its broadband ambitions in Ireland.” JD Buckley, Managing Director, Sky Ireland, said: “This deal with SIRO reflects our continued commitment to investment in infrastructure in Ireland and will mean our customers will enjoy ultra-fast gigabit connectivity which will transform the way they use Sky and consume content. We want our customers to have the fastest available speeds to the widest possible footprint across Ireland and SIRO are an important strategic partner in helping us realise that goal.” The SIRO network now covers over 110,000 premises, with services now live or under construction in 25 towns across the country including Dundalk, Carrigaline, Sligo, Letterkenny, Tralee, Cavan, Wexford, Skibbereen, Drogheda, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Ennis, Castlebar, Westport, Limerick, Newbridge, Carlow, Swords, Balbriggan, Bray, Greystones, Athlone, Killarney, Shannon and Mallow.

Digiweb deal with enet enables fibre broadband to an additional 27,000 premises

enet, Ireland’s largest open-access network operator and Digiweb, provider of broadband and telephone services to residential users and small businesses, has today announced the signing of an agreement between the two companies. As a result, Digiweb now has access to an additional 27,000 fibre enabled premises in six regional towns - Tralee, Portlaoise, Newbridge, Naas, Castlebar and Carlow Town. This deal follows on from a previous partnership arrangement between enet and SIRO, granting enet access to SIRO’s 100% fibre to the home infrastructure and will drive further competition in the broadband market by giving Digiweb access to extra locations connecting to Gigabit technology. Digiweb’s “Electric Broadband” services will go live in the six towns in 2017, with their launch of a number of fibre optic broadband packages for both residential and business customers. Broadband speeds will range from 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) to one Gigabit per second (Gbps) and will be priced from as little as €45 per month. In total, Digiweb now has access to over 65,000 fibre enabled premises in twelve locations, also including Limerick, Drogheda, Dundalk, Letterkenny, Carrigaline and Dublin West; with further locations anticipated to come on-stream in 2018. Commenting on the announcement, Declan Campbell, Managing Director of Digiweb, said: “Digiweb are pleased to have done this deal with enet and have access to additional SIRO infrastructure because I know our customers will have a better broadband experience. The introduction of our services, via this genuine fibre to the home network, will differentiate us from most of the competition immediately. Digiweb provide 100% nationwide broadband coverage and are committed to bringing real fibre broadband to homes and businesses throughout Ireland. Through this initiative, we will be able to offer our customers Gigabit broadband packages - the most powerful available.” Conal Henry, enet CEO, added: “We’re delighted to have penned this deal with Digiweb as it’s great news for businesses and residential users in Tralee, Portlaoise, Newbridge, Naas, Castlebar and Carlow Town. This deal means that consumers now have access to more choice, better reliability and faster broadband speeds. It also demonstrates enet’s drive and ambition to stimulate the take-up of next generation broadband services in regional Ireland.” Sean Atkinson, SIRO CEO, said: “Our partnership with enet and their deal with Digiweb illustrates how we’re driving competition in Ireland’s broadband marketplace. As SIRO are rolling out a 100% fibre-optic network, we are not constrained by outdated copper technology, which means we can deliver the best broadband experience in Ireland. Together with enet, Digiweb and our other partners, we are reversing the digital divide in Ireland and future-proofing the country’s broadband needs for decades ahead.” Underpinning this deal, enet has made a multi-million-euro investment in the development of an automated software platform that aggregates enet’s own network as well as third party infrastructure. The new platform combines qualification, provisioning, billing, ticketing and lifecycle management across both wholesale and retail services and supports large, small and specialist retail service providers in the provision of superfast broadband to end users.

SIRO announces €25m Contract with Global ICT Company Huawei for 100% Fibre-Optic Broadband Technology

SIRO, the open-access broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, announced that it has signed a contract with global ICT leader, Huawei. The contract, valued at over €25 million, sees Huawei supply SIRO with end to end network equipment for its phase one deployment to 50 regional towns. The contract was announced at Huawei’s Ultra-Broadband Forum (UBBF) 2017 in Hangzhou today where SIRO CEO, Sean Atkinson is a keynote speaker. Huawei’s 100% fibre optic technology is a key element in SIRO’s plans to deliver a future-proofed solution to meet Ireland’s broadband needs now, and for decades to come. SIRO partnered with Huawei on the company’s pilot in Cavan Town in 2015 and the relationship has grown since then. Huawei is now providing active telecoms equipment for SIRO for its first phase build of 500,000 premises. Huawei is also the SIRO build partner in Athlone delivering fibre to over 8,000 homes and businesses. UBBF is an annual event hosted by The UN Broadband Commission and Huawei. The event sees over 800 operators, industry partners, and agencies come together to share viewpoints on ultra-broadband development. In a keynote address delivered today, Sean Atkinson, SIRO CEO, announced the new partnership and outlined how the Irish example of using the existing ESB networks to rollout fibre connectivity could have applications in other countries. “This contract is an important milestone in providing best in class, 100% fibre-optic broadband to consumers and businesses in Irish towns. With over 100,000 homes passed and very encouraging early take up rates, SIRO is meeting the demand of Irish homes and businesses for a new communications network for the 21st century. The Huawei technology is a key component to deliver a service to customers that is quite literally the speed of light.” Ryan Ding, Executive Director of the Board and President of the Carrier Business Group of Huawei, said: “Huawei is very pleased to be partnering with SIRO to deliver fibre-optic broadband to fifty towns across Ireland. We are working with SIRO to design a network that will meet the requirements of local communities and businesses. As a global ICT business we invested over $11billion into research and development globally last year and this means we are helping SIRO to deliver a world leading fibre broadband solution. Research has shown there is a direct link between improved broadband connectivity and improved economic performance, and we look forward to working with SIRO on what is a nationally significant Broadband rollout.” With over 100,000 premises passed in 25 towns, SIRO’s 100% fibre optic broadband network is transforming regional towns like Tralee and Letterkenny which now enjoy the same level of broadband connectivity as global megacities such as Shanghai and Tokyo. SIRO connectivity helps regional towns attract foreign direct investment, encourages local entrepreneurship and allows more people to live and work within their local community. For example, the Ludgate Digital Hub in Skibbereen, West Cork which is powered by SIRO, aims to create 500 jobs in five years and provide a multi-million euro boost to the local economy. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO is delivered through fibre optic cables which run alongside existing electricity connections, all the way to the building. This technology, known as “FTTB”, has no copper connections at any point to slow down the network and delivers 1 Gigabit download and upload speeds. For context, when downloading a high definition film (4 Gigabytes) with a 10 Mbps connection, the download time is an hour - with SIRO it takes approximately 30 seconds. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland. SIRO has formed partnerships with Vodafone, Digiweb, BT, enet, Carnsore Broadband, Skytel and WestNet, with more retailers set to join the network as the company drives competition in the wholesale broadband market.

SIRO ANNOUNCES WITHDRAWAL FROM NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN TENDER PROCESS

SIRO, the open-access broadband provider, has announced its withdrawal from the National Broadband Plan tender process. Together with its shareholders ESB and Vodafone, the company shares the Government’s ambition to reverse the digital divide by increasing the penetration of high speed gigabit broadband to over half a million (500,000) homes and business across Ireland. Following a comprehensive review, SIRO cannot develop a competitive business case to justify continued participation in the National Broadband Plan bid process and therefore has decided to withdraw. SIRO’s original plan to build a 1 Gigabit broadband network in 50 regional Irish towns is unaffected by this decision and the company remains committed to regional Ireland. SIRO has invested over €100 million over the last two years in building a world class Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) service and is on track to pass 100,000 homes and businesses by the end of September. The company has had a transformative effect in the areas it has launched in to date. For example, the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen is on course to help create 500 jobs over the next five years in the West Cork region. Commenting on the announcement, Sean Atkinson, SIRO CEO, said: “Our decision to withdraw from the National Broadband Plan tender has not been taken lightly. We will continue with our original plans focusing on transforming Ireland’s regional towns, putting them on a par for high speed connectivity with cities like Tokyo and Hong Kong. SIRO’s Gigabit towns will attract investment and job-creation, support SMEs and allow access to new services in education, healthcare and entertainment.” Anne O’Leary, Vodafone Ireland CEO, added: “Naturally we are disappointed that SIRO is withdrawing from the National Broadband Plan tender, but our vision of creating a Gigabit society in Ireland is unaffected as the SIRO roll out continues as part of our €450 million investment with ESB. The decision to withdraw was difficult, but it means the company can refocus its attention to building out the SIRO network further. With over 100,000 premises due to be passed at the end of the month and the level of sign-ups reaching as high as 20-25% in our early launch towns, there is clear commercial demand for Gigabit connectivity across regional Ireland.” Pat O’Doherty, Chief Executive of ESB, commented: “SIRO’s withdrawal from the National Broadband Plan tender process was a difficult decision, it was made on the basis that SIRO was unable to make a business case for continued participation in the process. With our partner, Vodafone, we now look forward to delivering SIRO’s primary objective – to roll out a fibre broadband network with 1 GB capacity to 500,000 premises across 50 of the largest towns in Ireland where there is also a significant demand for high speed internet connectivity.”

SIRO Announces Sponsorship of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann

SIRO, the open-access broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, has been announced as a sponsor of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann as part of the rollout of its 100% fibre-optic gigabit broadband network to Ennis. Ennis was the 10^th town that SIRO went live in, with services live in 12 towns and under construction in an additional 8 towns across Ireland thus far. SIRO will support performances taking place in Cois na hAbhna, including numerous céilí, the concertina competitions, a traditional step dancing workshop and the prize winners concert, as well as sponsoring the Senior Céilí Band Competition on Sunday 20th August. In the run-up to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, SIRO will be giving away tickets to numerous events on the company’s Facebook and Twitter pages. SIRO will also give people the chance to experience its Gigabit broadband service during the course of the festival. Commenting on the sponsorship, Stephen O’Connor, Director of Corporate Affairs with SIRO, said: “As an Irish company at the forefront of supporting regional Ireland, we are proud to support Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. This year’s festival is set to be the most successful Fleadh to date and we are pleased that we can repay the support that we have received from the people of Ennis with the rollout of our 100% fibre-optic Gigabit broadband network by helping the event reach a wider audience.” “We are delighted that SIRO has come on board with others to support us in hosting Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in August. At a time when broadband connectivity is essential for Ireland’s future growth, SIRO - a joint venture between the ESB and Vodafone - is bringing high speed broadband to Ennis resulting in a boost for local business. The Fleadh Committee is delighted that Ennis is to be catapulted to the forefront of broadband connectivity with the recent SIRO announcement that the county capital is Ireland’s latest Gigabit Town,” said the Chair of the Fleadh Executive Committee, Frank Whelan. Construction on SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic gigabit broadband network is currently underway in Ennis. Residents and businesses in Ennis will now be able to avail of SIRO’s Gigabit connectivity (1,000Mbps) which is three times faster than the best service available in Dublin and ten times more powerful than the fastest average internet speed in Ireland. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO is delivered by fibre optic cables all the way to the building. This technology, known as Fibre-to-the-Building, has no copper connections at any point to slow down the network and delivers 1 Gigabit download and upload speeds. For context, when downloading a standard high definition film (4 Gigabytes) with a 10 Mbps connection, the average download time is an hour - with SIRO it takes approximately 30 seconds. Ennis residents or businesses who want a broadband connection powered by SIRO should contact Vodafone to discuss availability and pricing.

As an Irish company at the forefront of supporting regional Ireland, SIRO is proud to announce that we will be a sponsor of this year’s Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, which takes place in Ennis, Co. Clare between 13^th – 21^st August. This year’s festival is set to be the most successful Fleadh to date and we are pleased that we can repay the support that we have received from the people of Ennis with the rollout of our 100% fibre-optic Gigabit broadband network by helping the event reach a wider audience. SIRO are dedicated to connecting Ireland to the world, so we asked some Fleadh Cheoil visitors where they’ve come from! Take a look! Four piece Irish traditional group Luascadh visited our SIRO activation for Seisiúin SIRO. Band members include Cathy Kirke (Bodhrán, Vocals and Piano), David Crowe (Flute and Whistle), Margaret Hoban (Piano and Concertina), Stacey Gilroy (Vocals and Fiddle). As part of our sponsorship, we supported performances taking place in Cois na hAbhna, including numerous céilí, the concertina competitions, a traditional step dancing workshop and the prize winners concert, as well as sponsoring the Senior Céilí Band Competition on Sunday 20^th August. Congratulations to Senior Céilí Band All Ireland Champions The Shandrum Céilí Band pictured with SIRO CEO Sean Atkinson.

Newstalk Business Breakfast

This morning, we announced our second retail partner Digiweb was on board. Donal O'Donovan, Newstalk spoke to Declan Campbell, MD of Digiweb. Have a listen to the interview below. [soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/280439905" <params="color=00cc11&amp;auto_play=false&amp;hide_related=false&amp;show_comments=true&amp;show_user=true&amp;show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]