Culture over Complacency: Developing an Environmental Health and Safety Culture

2022 marks my 27th year working in Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), with the last seven spent working with SIRO. Over the years, I’ve completed qualifications to Masters levels and attained my Chartered practitioner status. Allied with practical experience, these have given me significant expertise on developing successful organisational environmental, health and safety management systems and practices. SIRO began its journey in 2015, as a new company, a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, rolling out a completely new 100% fibre broadband network. From the off, Environmental Health and Safety is something that we have placed a paramount importance on.

“SIRO is an Industry Leader on Environmental Health and Safety.”

SIRO is acutely aware that human interaction and organisations are dynamic and ever changing, diffusing between several layers of interaction and influence, all of which affect perceptions, meaning, values, attitudes, norms and thus behaviour; and that one unsafe behaviour can significantly change an organisations’ record. Today, there is much talk within organisations and businesses about “culture.” Within occupational and environmental management, the importance of having a positive safety culture is much highlighted. Culture is the evolving result of the continuing negotiations about values between the members of that organisation and with its environment. It includes norms, ideas and factors which prompt behaviour and attitudes towards the organisation. Is culture the single determinant of all aspects of safety and the organisation of safety practices? Unfortunately, no. It is just one, but important, part of a wider paradigm of factors required to establish a successful management system. ISO standards, in particular ISO 45001 & ISO 14001, refer to this paradigm of factors as an organisation’s “context”. To develop successful systems, there is no singular, defining handbook, each organisation must determine their own, suited to their own context.  

The Key Elements driving SIRO’s Environmental, Health &Safety (EHS) managements systems

 

Our Heritage

SIRO is a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, with both companies having well established management systems. At SIRO, we took the best from both organisations’ approaches.

“We considered the complexity of utilising existing electricity infrastructure to construct & operate a 100% fibre-to-the-building broadband network, and successfully created management systems specific to SIRO”. 

SIRO's Health & Safety Context

As an “essential service,” SIRO’s workplace is complex and the risks real. SIRO as a wholesale operator successfully completes and controls, high-risk works across a variety of networks - overhead, underground, Core, and Metro. This is in addition to navigating between a myriad of existing overlapping utility networks (e.g., gas, sewage,) in a congested urban underground landscape.

SIRO's Environmental Context

SIRO is rolling out one of Ireland’s greenest telecoms networks, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability. Through using the existing ESBN electricity infrastructure, we have adapted circular economy principles. Our fibre network is significantly more energy efficient and much less polluting vs. copper or cable broadband. SIROs fibre broadband network is already underpinning:

• A reduction in national carbon footprint due to working from home and reduced commuting
• More sustainable and balanced development, supporting people to live and work in their communities
• Contributing to improved work-life balance
• Reducing in pandemic risks through facilitating greater access to online goods and services

So, what are the main elements of SIRO’s successful EHSMS management systems?

These are broadly categorised as:

• Leadership & Participation
• Risk & Impact Assessment
• Setting & Enforcing High Control Standards
• Competence (Approvals & Authorisations)
• Integrating EHSMS within business management systems

Leadership & Participation:

• Having robust worker participation and organisational leadership is vital to the success of all aspects of a business, HSEQ is no different.
• SIRO’s HSEQ Department have direct line of authority from, and communication with the CEO and the SIRO Board.
• SIRO’s Senior Leadership & Management Teams are accountable and responsible for HSEQ within their functions.
• Worker participation is strong and there is a shared responsibility within SIRO from Leadership level throughout the whole organisation.

Risk & Impact Assessment:

• Planning and organisation are also vital: the need to identify hazards, environmental aspects, complete risk and impact assessment should form core elements of any activity. Through planning, SIRO has devised specific control measures and standards to reduce or eliminate risks and impacts posed.

Setting & Enforcing High Control Standards:

The setting and enforcing of high HSEQ standards is vital; aim as high as you can reach. Make it about the best available technology/approach and not the ‘cowboy’ corner-cutting approach. An organisation that aims for the legislative minimum will always find they fall short. SIRO as an industry leader – sets and enforces high environmental, health and safety standards.

Competence:

From experience there are two key aspects to competence an organisation must get right, and both must align with the level of risk involved:

1. Approval: The assessment and engagement of competent contractors
2. Authorisations: The training, assessment and authorisation of worker activity based on levels of risk.

Integrating EHSMS within business management systems:

HSEQ is not an add on, it can never be if an organisation is to be an industry leader. HSEQ integrate into all aspects of thoughts, change, and actions across our business functions.

So, does SIRO have a positive “culture”?

I believe so. At SIRO we have put in place all the key elements to ensure a positive H&S culture exists, is prioritised and can continue to grow. HSEQ is always evolving, and organisational paradigms are ever shifting in our dynamic work environment. Management systems must continually evolve and improve to respond to these dynamics.  

SIRO and Vodafone have today announced the expansion of their Gigabit Hub Initiative to Portershed. The innovation hub and tech event space will become the first Gigabit Hub, as part of the initiative, to be based in Galway. Originally established in 2016, the PorterShed is currently undertaking a significant expansion which will see it move from its existing premises near Eyre Square, to a larger campus, comprising two new buildings in the Galway City Innovation District. The SIRO-Vodafone Gigabit Hub Initiative is one which provides high speed fibre broadband connections to a range of co-working and innovation hubs across Ireland. SIRO and Vodafone will become the official connectivity partner for the expanded PorterShed, providing it with high speed, reliable 1 Gigabit Fibre broadband under the initiative. The PorterShed will become the 17^th hub to join SIRO-Vodafone Gigabit Hub Initiative. Since its’ establishment over five years ago the PorterShed has contributed hugely to the West’s tech community by creating almost 800 jobs from its’ work in supporting and accelerating the development of local tech start-ups. To date, these start-ups have attracted €35M in inward investment to underpin their growth. Companies who have been or are PorterShed clients include Rent the Runway (a reverse logistics company), Kappture (a fintech payments company) and SuperFly Ireland (a digital communications company).

The PorterShed Expansion - Powered By SIRO

As part of the PorterShed’s expansion, it will add an additional 200 desks, bringing its total capacity to 330 desks overall. The PorterShed will also move from its existing location near Eyre Square to two new premises – at Bowling Green and the former Connacht Tribune offices on Market Street – both located in the Galway City Innovation District. The PorterShed is also targeting the creation of an additional 1,700 jobs by its member companies as part this new phase of its development. The PorterShed joining the SIRO-Vodafone Gigabit Hubs will see both new premises receiving a high-quality Gigabit fibre broadband, ensuring that its member companies have fast and reliable broadband. This connectivity, whilst enhancing the attractiveness of the PorterShed, also ensures it has future proofed broadband capable of accommodating speeds of up to 10 Gigabits in the years ahead. Commenting on the partnership, Mary Rodgers, CEO of the PorterShed noted:

“We are delighted to announce our connectivity partnership with SIRO and Vodafone today. Access to reliable fibre broadband that can meet the data demands of our member companies today and into the future is essential. It’s hugely important to the PorterShed and its long-term sustainability.  The support of SIRO and Vodafone along with Enterprise Ireland ensure the PorterShed can continue to deliver and improve its service offering”

Managing Director of Vodafone Ireland Business Sinead Bryan commented:

“The PorterShed has done amazing work in contributing to Galway’s regional economy by providing a space where SMEs can grow and develop. When the Gigabit Hub Initiative was first established, its goal was to support job creation and revitalise local economies by providing best in class fibre connectivity. The pandemic has highlighted that connectivity is key to our economic recovery, so it’s another way for us to support that objective. Fundamentally, the acceleration of remote working and adoption of hybrid working models presents real opportunities for businesses to strategically drive long term value in key areas such as flexibility, talent, sustainability, and cost using the digital hubs network."

SIRO Corporate Affairs Director, Amanda Glancy said:

“The Gigabit Hub Initiative is a project that we at SIRO are extremely proud to roll-out in partnership with Vodafone. Since our launch, SIRO’s core ambition has been to bring fibre broadband to cities and towns across Ireland and to act as a catalyst for regional growth and balanced development. The PorterShed has achieved much in this regard in just a few short years. We are hugely supportive of the next phase of the PorterShed’s growth and excited about contributing to its long-term success with our fibre broadband service.”

SIRO and Vodafone first established the Gigabit Hub Initiative in 2017, following the success of the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, Co. Cork. There are now 17 Gigabit Hubs across Ireland supporting start-up enterprise, facilitating remote working and bringing added value to the towns they are located in.  

The gold standard, what does it mean? It’s a term thrown about by many that can be applied to virtually anything: broadband, accommodation, even a cup of coffee. For myself, as CTO of SIRO, it means achieving and maintaining superior quality of customer service that inspires others to follow suit. Irish people have always valued quality customer service that’s delivered with care. Since the pandemic, there has been a notable shift in customers valuing trust and mutual understanding from their service providers. A recent survey from The CX Company noted that companies need to show “massive commitment, collaboration, energy and passion” to satisfy the emotional drivers that add to the customer experience. As a CTO of SIRO, with years’ experience of service delivery in telecommunications, one thing each internet service provider (ISP) needs to excel is: Agility. The ability to react to a changing environment is critical. As is the ability to identify and resolve an issue in a timely manner. SIRO is a wholesale open access network with 19 retailers, and during the pandemic, we were deemed as an essential “critical” service, which meant two things: the people of Ireland needed us, and the pressure was on. Our SSPs had to adapt to ever changing restrictions and guidelines all while ensuring that our customers could carry on working during a global pandemic. So how does an open access wholesaler with 19 retailers ensure that our customers experience in “the last mile” is positive?

“We were deemed as an essential “critical” service, which meant two things: the people of Ireland needed us, and the pressure was on”

For starters, one of the key roles we have as a wholesaler, is supporting our retailers. Our retailers set the performance, as ultimately, they provide the service. So, our role is ensuring our retailers have the appropriate tools to manage their “service” end. Our installers, for example, can provide a heatmap to measure the performance of our connectivity in a home and determine which is the best place for our customers to place their modem. We provide the connection and the CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) and deploy engineers to complete the last steps in the connection. This ensures that our customers receive the highest standards of care and service. Our ultimate goal is to meet our customer expectations, as we are passionate that a SIRO connection is the last you’ll truly need.

While our retailers primarily offer residential services, the same level of care and innovation is provided for our enterprise connections too. Some of our retailers have begun looking at Fibre to the Room, expanding on the concept of FTTH.  Vodafone, for example, provide Wifi enhancement tools for homes that may have difficulty connecting in varying parts of the home. This is known as their “Super-Wifi” product which is having huge success. On average, an Irish home contains 15-20 devices that are Wi-Fi-enabled or connected to the internet, and we foresee that growing each year. As devices develop and demand grows, we as an ISP must continue to innovate, adapt and improve our services to accommodate. Wifi-Six or “11ax” is a Wi-Fi enhancement tool that will enable better utilisation of the bandwidth provided, which we foresee as a tool that can enhance the in-home broadband experience for our customers and reduce the number of calls to centres. As a wholesaler, SIRO are happy to support our retailers in ensuring our customers connection remains optimal. We need to ensure that we are providing our retailers with the level of support that’s required to ensure each customer receives the gold standard of service, at each step in their connection. When SIRO first began its journey, we were a small wholesaler with very few retail partners. We had a vision of bridging the digital divide between Dublin and regional Ireland with pure fibre connectivity. Ireland had fewer than 11,000 fibre connections, and the incumbent Eir had the lion’s share of the broadband market with xDSL connectivity. Now, we’ve achieved “Five 9s” availability and enabled over 400,000 homes with 100% fibre connectivity, all while balancing the delicate relationship between wholesaler and service provider. Search Your Eircode today to connect to SIRO 100% Fibre Broadband.

  Enet, Ireland’s largest open-access network operator, has today announced an agreement worth up to €5 million with Fastcom. Through this new partnership, enet is delivering Fastcom access to SIRO’s fibre infrastructure meaning they can facilitate high-speed broadband to 350,000 potential premises in regional towns across Ireland. The agreement will deliver speeds of up to 1Gbps and will ensure further competition in the broadband market by giving Fastcom access to additional locations equipped with gigabit technology. Through this, enet will enable Fastcom to provide the fastest possible broadband speeds to more communities across Ireland. Cormac Ryan, Commercial Director of enet, said: “We are delighted to have agreed this partnership with Fastcom which provides them with access to the SIRO network. This will offer them the opportunity to deliver high-speed broadband to an increasing number of regional locations. We are delighted to be working alongside Fastcom to ensure our investments in cutting-edge technology benefit more people across the country.” Lorraine Gibbons, Managing Director of Fastcom, said: “We are delighted to announce this deal and to continue our ongoing relationship with enet. This enables us to expand our product portfolio with access to the nationwide SIRO network and, as an independent broadband provider, it means we can offer the best possible solution for any customer in any location. Demand for gigabit broadband is increasing all the time and now, with the availability of SIRO services, we can offer this to our ever-growing business and residential customer base throughout the country.” Ronan Whelan, Chief Commercial Officer of SIRO, added: “Since our foundation, SIRO’s objective has been to expand access across Ireland to reliable and resilient fibre broadband. Today’s announcement furthers that ambition and brings Gigabit connectivity to the heart of even more Irish homes and businesses - allowing them to do life different.”  

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Last week, SIRO announced the next stage of our fibre network expansion – a €620 million investment that will almost double our existing network footprint, reaching 770,000 homes and businesses and up to 2.1 million people across Ireland over the next four years. Combined with our existing investment as part of the first phase of our broadband network roll-out, it takes our total investment in building a new 100% fibre network to almost one billion euro overall.

The answer as to why, SIRO is investing this level of capital, can be summed up in a word – demand.

  Demand from homes and businesses for reliable connectivity which gives people what they need today but also is future proofed for what they will need tomorrow.  Many of the patterns of living that we have become accustomed to over recent months, such as remote working, online education or eHealth, shopping online or streaming or video calls for work or personal reasons or increased use of cloud-based technologies, were all slowly taking root before the pandemic. COVID-19 accelerated their usage from the margins to the everyday. COVID-19 also exposed the inadequacies of our existing broadband infrastructure across Ireland – and in both urban and regional areas. Equally, any doubts of high-quality fibre gigabit broadband being a luxury vs. a necessity were quickly dispelled as data demands skyrocketed. Like so many other areas of our lives, the pandemic forced a rethink of how connectivity, and broadband as the engine to deliver it, became framed in the public conscious. People now need, want and expect seamless connectivity to allow them to do what matters most in their lives in a convenient and easy way. So, whether its’s allowing them to live where they want, and increasingly many are choosing to do so away from our congested cities or working flexible hours which matches their lifestyles and family needs or both staying connected and spending more time with loved ones; the fact is that none of this is possible without high quality broadband. It is now the cornerstone which is unlocking the means to allow people to live in a different and more sustainable way.  Once motorway were the key arteries to bridging people to and from where they lived and worked, now broadband networks are increasingly fulfilling this role. And therein lies the crux of the problem Ireland still faces, and to which SIRO last week committed to contribute to fixing in a meaningful way - large parts of Ireland still cannot access high quality broadband. It’s why we have committed to increase our existing network reach from 410,000 premises to 770,000 premises over the next four years. This also means we will increase the number of towns across Ireland from 64 currently to 154, an additional 90 towns, who can access the SIRO network.  

In short more families, more communities and more towns will be fibre enabled - supporting the digital agenda and delivering benefits to more regional towns across Ireland.

  Since SIRO was founded in 2015, we have always been keenly aware of the demand across Ireland for our 100% fibre-to-the-home, reliable broadband. Typically, once a SIRO van is spotted in a neighbourhood, our technicians are quickly approached by residents in that estate or even those surrounding it looking for information on when they can get connected. Since COVID-19 began, and understandably, as people whether willingly or not found themselves working from home, the level of consumer understanding of connectivity and what amounts to a good broadband connection has also become ever more sophisticated. Back when SIRO began its’ journey to build Ireland’s first 100% fibre broadband network most people either didn’t know what a fibre connection was, were unclear what connection they had and certainly weren’t comfortable navigating a conversation on copper vs. fibre broadband. This is changing fast. More and more people now are aware that fibre broadband offers a gold standard service, which, most of all, they can depend on. Given, that it is future proofed to speeds of up to 25 Gigabits, it is also likely the last connection they will ever need. Last week with COP26, global leaders are focused on climate change, reducing emissions and finding ways for humanity to live more sustainably but equally juggling how the world adapts and recovers from the pandemic, fibre broadband can play a key role here too. Examples include increased working from home or in hubs closer to where we will live, taking cars off our roads thereby reducing emissions or underpinning smart technologies in our towns and cities delivering benefits such as greater energy efficiency or using natural resources better. It is apparent that copper switch off is happening all over the world and in Ireland. Fibre itself when compared to older outdated copper or cable broadband technologies is also much more environmentally friendly with less emissions and lower energy consumption. As SIRO now sets off on the next phase of our development and the work to bring our network to tens of thousands of more homes and businesses across Ireland begins, we are conscious that there is still much work to be done to make a full fibre Ireland a reality for all. Ireland is currently at a halfway point in our fibre broadband journey, just over 50% of homes and businesses can access a fibre network, while approximately 13% are connected to one. There remains much work to be done. Yet if we take a view that companies like SIRO, who have already rolled out to over 410,000 premises now have an intent to reach the remaining half of the population in an accelerated and faster timespan, our decision-makers must now also increasingly factor the benefits and opportunities which arise from a fully connected Ireland. Ireland’s fibre networks will be a strategic asset for decades to come, delivering huge social and economic benefits for decades to come. We can’t waste the opportunities they unlock. Our policymakers must now really consider the wide range of areas which fibre broadband can influence such as how and where we live, how public services are delivered, the skills and expertise required by our workforce in a digital age and above all how we can leverage technology to allow our country to prosper but in a way which does not harm our planet.  

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An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD has today (28th October) launched the second phase of our rollout of our Gigabit broadband network – Ireland’s only 100% fibre-optic network – which will see us almost doubling our footprint to 770,000 homes and businesses (over 2.1 million people) and reaching 154 towns across Ireland.   €620 million in funding has been secured through the European Investment Bank and a syndicate of Irish and international lenders, which will be invested in expanding the availability of SIRO’s services, as well as upgrading all our existing infrastructure for 2 Gigabit capacity – double the speed of the most powerful broadband services in Ireland today.  The additional funding will bring our total investment in its Gigabit broadband network to in excess of €1 billion. €170 million of the funding will be provided by the European Investment Bank alone in line with the European Commission’s "Connectivity for a Competitive Digital Single Market – Towards a Gigabit Society" strategy to deploy market leading broadband services to meet the future needs for Europe’s digital economy and society. 

"Thanks to our future proofed network, SIRO will power Ireland’s broadband needs for decades ahead."

John Keaney, CEO, SIRO

The €620 million in funding raised will see a further 320,000 homes and businesses added to its existing rollout programme to 450,000 premises. All 770,000 homes and businesses will ultimately have access to our 2 Gigabit fibre broadband service, which has already gone live in Kilkenny, with the upgrade for SIRO’s existing 400,000 premises completed by early 2022. The upgrade of this infrastructure comes in response to increased data demands due to a shift to remote working and a spike in interest for online services in areas like education and healthcare.  Commenting on the announcement An Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said: “The pandemic further underlined the importance of connectivity in keeping society and our economy functioning, and our people and communities safer. SIRO’s investment is very positive in terms of creating greater access to reliable fibre broadband for more towns across Ireland. Creating a fully connected Ireland is a fundamental objective of Government, achievable through partnership between public and private funded operators, such as SIRO, working together to reach this goal.” SIRO CEO John Keaney concluded: “This is a landmark announcement not just for SIRO, but also for Ireland as our network will play a fundamental role in a regional renewal and helping households be more sustainable. Connecting over two million people as part of a Gigabit society matters because it means that more people have the option of working from home, with less cars on the roads and families able to spend more quality time with each other. Similarly, more businesses will be more fully participate in the digital economy, collaborating with clients seamlessly and selling to customers in every corner of the globe. Thanks to our future proofed network, SIRO will power Ireland’s broadband needs for decades ahead.”  Christian Kettel Thomsen, European Investment Bank Vice President added: "Accelerating access to broadband communications is crucial to harness the environmental, economic and social benefits of digitalisation. The European Investment Bank is pleased to provide EUR 170 million backing for expansion of SIRO as part of our support for digital investment. This cooperation between Irish and international partners will enable 2.1 million people across Ireland to access high-speed internet in the years ahead” Vodafone Ireland CEO Anne O’Leary noted: “We are proud today that SIRO, our joint venture with ESB, has announced plans for a second phase, bringing fibre broadband to even more people, businesses and communities across Ireland.  It has never been more important to advance critical digital infrastructure that supports business transformation and connected communities to embed longer-term societal resilience. COVID-19 has given us an opportunity to re-imagine what is possible and to accelerate digital transformation for citizens, communities, business and future proof our economy. The last 18 months have proven how crucial connectivity is to this.   “It will enable the next generation of businesses in Ireland to remain competitive globally and to capitalise on new opportunities to grow and scale from wherever they are based. It will allow rural communities to thrive and become more sustainable by facilitating remote working from home, or through hybrid models, it will support new business growth and development as well as connected education and healthcare. This announcement today is not just a commitment to delivering high-speed connectivity, it a commitment to our economy and society - and to future generations”.  ESB CEO Paddy Hayes stated: “It’s really positive that this additional investment in SIRO fibre broadband will allow even more customers, communities and businesses to benefit from high speed connections; supporting smart working, local economies, jobs and sustainable living in 154 towns around Ireland.” The expansion will also see the SIRO and Vodafone’s Gigabit Hub initiative bolstered. The initiative currently provides a 1 Gigabit broadband connection to 16 remote working and enterprise centres across Ireland, supporting local entrepreneurs and job creation. Full details of the expanded Gigabit Hub initiative will be announced in the coming weeks.   Since our launch in 2015, we have rolled out Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network, making Gigabit broadband available to over 400,000 homes and businesses across the country. Our Fibre-to-the-Building technology is recognised as the gold standard for broadband connectivity internationally. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO delivers 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 speeds. As a wholesale open-access broadband operator, services powered by SIRO are available to homes and businesses through 19 retailers who resell SIRO broadband to residential and business customers.    

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Early this month, Vodafone announced a new digital skills training programme for older people in Ireland, supported by Alone and Active Retirement Ireland. The programme aims to reach 230,000 older people over the next five years. The initiative is hugely welcome. It can make a significant contribution in bridging the gap between digital haves and have-nots. The digitisation of all facets of how we live often leaves those without technological literacy feeling disenfranchised. Many of us have experienced becoming the tech support for our parents or elderly relatives during COVID-19, connecting Zoom calls to relatives abroad, booking the COVID-19 vaccine online or setting up online supermarket home deliveries. Being connected was a lifeline for many cocooning during the pandemic. Yet many had to wait for their children or friends to get set up on tablets or iPads. Moreover, there were those who didn’t have anyone they could call and were quite literally left to their own devices. Independence is something everyone values, so Vodafone’s initiative respects this by providing those with poor digital skills with the autonomy to learn digital skills for themselves.

“This initiative shines a broader spotlight on the issue of digital divides across Irish society. These divides impact far beyond just our elderly. It can be an urban-rural divide, often closely linked to poor connectivity or absence of high-quality broadband in regional or rural areas.”

  Poor broadband is not just a rural affliction. It can be an issue in the heart of Drimnagh or Dundrum, just as much as it can be in the stony fields of Connemara or the mountains in Kerry. The use of outdated copper infrastructure across Irish towns and cities is still a reality; something that companies like SIRO, as it rolls-out 100% high speed resilient fibre broadband, are working to resolve. In our rural areas, the National Broadband Plan will also seek to level the fibre playing field. And yet the goal of achieving a full fibre Ireland grows closer by the day. There are also work-arounds which have been developed pending the full roll-out of fibre networks across Ireland.

“53% of premises across Ireland now have access to fibre broadband so the mountain is being climbed but there is still a bit to go to reach the peak.”

  One of these are Gigabit Hubs. Since 2015, SIRO, partnering with Vodafone, have been supporting community enterprise, regional development, and remote working facilities, powered by our one Gigabit fibre connection. With 16 SIRO Gigabit hubs now established across Ireland, these centres are providing valuable spaces for people to work remotely and for enterprise to grow collaboratively. These hubs are also creating their own ecosystems within their towns, supporting local direct and indirect jobs. SIRO’s vision is to address the digital divide by illuminating Ireland’s regional areas with speeds three times higher than the best available in Dublin. Yet, digital divides run deeper than just the need for access to fibre broadband networks. Research from the Department of Higher and Further Education found 50% of Irish adults lack basic digital skills. This could have grave consequences for our economy in the future. Prior to Covid-19, the SME sector accounted for over 60% of Ireland's workforce, and this crucial part of the Irish economy usually has the poorest digital ability. This sector was also the one most impacted by the pandemic and has the furthest distance to travel to economically recover from it. It’s not a coincidence that the most digitally literate and technologically advanced countries in the world, such as Japan, consistently score highest in global rankings of most entrepreneurial countries. Therefore, a solid grasp of digital expertise amongst the Irish population at large, and by our SMEs, is essential. The next generations, who come behind the business owners of today, despite the tag of being digital natives, research has shown also face challenges.

“This is the generation who will be the most reliant, particularly in terms of their participation in the workplace of the future, on having a high level of digital skills.”

  A survey conducted by tech leaders, last July, found that 76% believe that Irish schools are failing to equip students with the necessary digital skills, at both primary and secondary level. Some small steps in the right direction have been made, such as the inclusion of Computer Science in the Leaving Certificate examinations, for the first time in 2021. Alongside this, coding and ECDL have been included within school’s curriculums for several years prior. More broadly, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris recently published a new national strategy which aims to half the number of Irish adults who lack basic digital skills from 47% to 20% over the next ten years. It is important for Ireland’s social and economic development that this strategy delivers. The measure of its success must be a significant reduction in digital gaps across all groups irrespective of geographic location, demographics, or social status.  

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This week, SIRO announced that we’re launching Ireland’s first 2Gb consumer broadband service. It’s initially available in Kilkenny from 19 October, but watch this space for further rollout announcements. When I started working on our 2Gb project last year, I got the same reaction from most people I talked to: “Why? After all, SIRO already offers a gigabit service – isn’t 1Gb plenty for just about every home?” It’s a reasonable question, and I gave the same two answers every time. First: build it and they will come. Ever since I started working on internet services, over twenty-five years ago, we’ve consistently seen that users will find a way to use any size of connection you can provide. One of my first upgrades was putting new software on dialup modems so that they could run at 33kbps – or 0.002% the speed of our new 2Gb service. Even then, people were sceptical – what could users want to do that would need that much bandwidth? Would they pay a premium for it? More recently, when SIRO started promoting our 1Gb service in 2018, we got the same question – why would anyone possibly need a 1Gb service at home? Three years later, it’s our most popular service, widely used by homes and businesses around the country as the gold standard of broadband connections.  

“Fundamentally, we believe people shouldn’t have to think about what their home connection speed is, because it should be faster than they routinely use”.

  We want people to stop seeing speed as a limitation to what they can do. You don’t worry about whether your electricity will max out if you turn on another light – and you shouldn’t have to worry about adding another internet-connected device, giving your kids another tablet to stream on, or doing a work video call while someone’s watching a movie. The speed at the wall should be more than you ever need on a given day. My second answer was that providing extra bandwidth allows our partner retail telcos to be innovative in the services they provide. For example, they might dedicate 500Mb to your gaming console; 500Mb to your remote working devices, to ensure lag-free video conferencing; and 1Gb to the general house Wi-Fi. We already see this happening in other countries where 2Gb services have been around for longer, and we’re looking forward to watching Irish broadband providers use SIRO connection to come up with innovative ways to make the most of the extra bandwidth we can now provide.  

“We expect that over time, instead of feeding the entire 2Gb connection to your Wi-Fi, telcos will start to split the speed at the wall and divide it up for you in new ways”.

  Upgrading our network to support 2Gb also underscores one of the best things about a fibre connection in your home: unlike part-copper or cable services, it means you’ll never have to upgrade to a better network just because you want more speed or extra services. As demand and technology evolve, we just swap the boxes at each end, and your house will have better, faster service. Upgrading to 2Gb involves a new technology called XGS-PON running across our existing fibre cables. We’re doing this upgrade without having to modify the fibre cables themselves – only the bits at each end need to change. XGS-PON will also allow SIRO to offer SMEs and enterprises a wide range of services, including high-speed symmetric connections with increased upload and download speeds. As more people move to working from home, businesses increasingly depend on high-quality fibre connections for video calls, remote access, and backing up increasing volumes of data. We saw this in action when we upgraded Cartoon Saloon to our symmetric fibre services during lockdown last year, so that they could continue to work on their Academy Award-nominated film Wolfwalkers while their staff remained safely remote. Getting more businesses online with more reliable fibre connections is key to helping Irish companies evolve and compete globally for both business and talent.  

“2Gb services using XGS-PON are one step in the evolution of our network, but they’re certainly not the last”.

  In future our 2Gb services will be upgradable to speeds up to 10Gb remotely, without even a site visit, and work is already underway in industry to standardise 20Gb and 50Gb technologies to meet future demand – all over the existing fibre cables. A fibre service to the home or business really is the last broadband connection you’ll ever need.  

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Today 11^th October, we announce Ireland’s first 2 Gigabit fibre broadband service for Irish homes – twice as powerful as the best broadband speeds currently available. We announced today that we have commenced the roll-out of our 2 Gigabit fibre broadband service to Kilkenny city homes, making it the broadband capital of Ireland for the quality of service available. We are currently upgrading our existing fibre broadband network across the city to facilitate the increased bandwidth. From next week (19^th October), households in the city will be able to pre-order the 2 Gigabit product and can avail of the service from Vodafone, Blacknight and Pure Telecom. While Kilkenny will be the first location on our network where 2 Gigabit fibre broadband is available to local homes, work is already underway to make the service available to all 64 towns across the SIRO network over the coming months. Services powered by SIRO are currently available to more than 400,000 homes and businesses across the country, with the our rollout continuing to become available to additional premises.

“Today’s announcement that SIRO is now bringing the first 2 Gigabit fibre broadband service to the Irish market, to Kilkenny city initially and to our wider network, thereafter, is another welcome first for SIRO, but more significantly futureproofs our network and offering to Irish households.

CCO, Ronan Whelan

The current network upgrade, while facilitating the launch of 2 Gigabit broadband, will also futureproof connected premises and enable them to access new start-of-the-art broadband services. The current upgrade is also underpinning the technology to support further increases in broadband speeds - up to 10 Gigabits in the near future. We confirmed several locations were closely in the running to be Irelands’ first 2 Gigabit town, but Kilkenny was selected for several reasons including its active SIRO customer base; the presence of several broadband retailers based in the city offering SIRO broadband to local homes; and a significant number of internet heavy users employed in Kilkenny-based businesses such as in financial and technology services, design and creative businesses, and digital enterprises. In Ireland, broadband users’ demand for speed and bandwidth has grown hugely in a few short years. In 2014, fixed broadband download speeds were on average 14 Mbps, by 2020 this had increased to 93 Mbps - an almost 6-fold increase, with this ‘need for speed’ is expected to accelerate further. The pandemic fast-tracked the growth in digitisation in the home due to remote working, video streaming, shopping or education and home schooling. In addition, a greater penetration of smart home devices also occurred during Covid-19. Data published by the CSO found in 2020 that almost one in five Irish households (19%) use a virtual assistant such as Google Home or Amazon Alexa/Echo. Equally, internet connected home entertainment devices also feature strongly with four in ten Irish homes (41%) using internet connected TVs and 26% using internet connected gaming consoles. Both factors combined – in-home digitisation and smart devices – has meant that some internet-heavy users now require the higher bandwidth that 2 Gigabit can provide them with to meet their data demands.

“The pandemic has accelerated digital adoption and multiple device usage, bringing with it demand for higher broadband speeds and bandwidth. As Ireland now looks to recovery, particularly through increased digitisation, this demand will only grow further.”

CCO, Ronan Whelan

The roll-out of a 2 Gigabit product is another important first for SIRO, which was the first to roll-out a dedicated 100% fibre-optic network across Ireland. We were established in 2015 to bring, using the ESB’s existing electrical network, high speed, high quality 1 Gigabit fibre broadband to regional Ireland, thereby ensuring reliable connectivity in Ireland’s regions. Commenting on the launch of Ireland’s first 2 Gigabit broadband service, our Chief Commercial Officer, Ronan Whelan noted: “Since our foundation in 2015, SIRO has brought innovation to the Irish telecoms market, ensuring that consumers and businesses across Ireland’s regional towns can access high quality, reliable Gigabit fibre broadband, putting places like Kilkenny and Skibbereen on a par with international cities like Tokyo with the best broadband available globally. Whelan also noted: “While the need for a 2 Gigabit fibre broadband is currently a product most suited to internet heavy homes or users, it’s still important to SIRO to service this niche, but growing, market segment. The trend in recent years of ever-growing data demands, tells us that what’s niche today will be mainstream tomorrow. SIRO’s innovative DNA means we are always focused on bringing new products and services to the Irish broadband market; ensuring Irish homes and businesses enjoy greater choice and competition. As we kick-off our 2 Gigabit roll-out across the SIRO broadband network, we are already thinking ahead to what’s next. In terms of speed, it’s fair to say the next big leap forward will be the jump from 2 Gigabit to 10 Gigabit for business – something already in SIRO’s line of vision”.  

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Last Friday, September 17th, we announced the expansion of our Gigabit Hub Initiative to Stranorlar, Co Donegal with the connection of The DigiHub at The BASE Enterprise Centre, a new 1600 sq ft Digital Hub dedicated to supporting the growth of ICT and Digital businesses in Donegal.  The Hub is situated in The BASE Enterprise Centre, a 19000 sq ft Enterprise space built in 2015 to help attract investment and enable more to live and do business in the area.

“By delivering Gigabit connectivity to the BASE Enterprise Centre, we have made remote working a reality for over 70 professionals, ensuring it’s as easy to do business in the Finn Valley as anywhere else in country. ”

John Keaney, CEO, SIRO

The DigiHub at The BASE was developed as part of the Digiwest programme with funding by the RRDF in partnership with Donegal County Council and the Western Development Commission. The DigiHub, which is located at Railway Road, Stranorlar, has a range of options available for remote workers, start-ups and established businesses with hot desk and start-up space on flexible arrangements, office units of various sizes, training facilities, and a range of meeting rooms. With Covid-19 fundamentally changing where people will live and work across Ireland, the BASE is aimed at enticing entrepreneurs and existing businesses to relocate to Stranorlar or offer 100% fibre-optic connectivity for remote workers based in the surrounding area.  The BASE is an independent enterprise space built and managed by BASICC, a local social enterprise dedicated to the regeneration of Ballybofey and Stranorlar. The new DigiHub focuses on strengthening the growing ICT and Digital sector in the area by dedicating a space for businesses in these industries to work together, sharing knowledge, skills and networks. With 23 desks available for short-term or casual hire, the hub can accommodate more than 20 tenants in addition to the business units available for permanent hire with capacity to accommodate an additional 50+ tenants. The DigiHub also offers a range of supports to start-ups including one-to-one business mentoring as well as access to mentoring through a network of support businesses via the Ballybofey and Stranorlar Chamber of Commerce; networking and informal learning opportunities; supportive promotion through social media channels; training opportunities; and signposting to key statutory agencies for assistance. One such company benefiting from the SIRO 1 GB connection at BASE Enterprise Centre is Secora Consulting.  Speaking at the launch of the Stranorlar hub, Phillip Close, Director of Secora Consulting said "The DigiHub will bring new and exciting opportunities for many in the Ballybofey/Stranorlar and surrounding areas. We're looking forward to being a part of the DigiHub Community and welcoming other Digital & ICT businesses to the growing network there as well. All of the business facilities required such as gigabit FTTH broadband, meeting rooms, recording studio, office space and co-working areas will now be available to support many with their business needs and ensure a healthy work-life balance.” The DigiHub is the latest to receive free SIRO powered one Gigabit broadband connection, provided by Vodafone and offered to 16 co-working hubs across the country. Launched in 2017, the Gigabit Hub Initiative was ahead of its time in aiming to spark a digital transformation across regional Ireland and boost local economies. SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic Gigabit connectivity, which is recognised as the international gold standard of broadband, is helping to reverse the digital divide in Ireland by offering connectivity that is better than what is available in Dublin.

“These hubs, powered by 1 Gigabit broadband, are an example of how local people and businesses can work together to generate economic growth in rural areas, but they also offer employees and business owners access to the digital society and the opportunity to pursue their careers and business ventures in towns and villages across Ireland.”

Sinéad Bryan, Vodafone Business Managing Director 

Present at the launch of the Digihub was Minister for Rural and Community Development and Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphries, who remarked: “As we phase out restrictions put in place during COVID-19, it’s more relevant than ever to invest in co-working spaces for those who wish to remain in their home counties and avoid long commutes to Dublin and larger cities. The launch of today’s hub in the heart of Stranorlar highlights the appetite for hybrid working in regional Ireland to remain. Thanks to the partnership of Donegal CoCo, the Western Development Commission, SIRO and Vodafone, this Gigabit hub can enable Stranorlar to have connectivity unparalleled to anyone in the country.” Commenting on the milestone of becoming part of the Gigabit Hub initiative, Kieran Doherty, Chairperson of BASICC said: “The BASE is a core part of the regeneration strategy for Stranorlar, Ballybofey and the surrounding area.  In order for the area to flourish, we have to be able to connect to any part of the world instantly and Gigabit connectivity means that we have the same world class broadband that is available in international hubs like Tokyo or Singapore. So we are delighted to be part of SIRO and Vodafone’s Gigabit Hub initiative as it will help us to keep people who had been working remotely in the area during the pandemic here and attract more people back to the Finn Valley.”  

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