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.”
Last week, SIRO 
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.
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, 
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 week, SIRO announced that we’re launching Ireland’s first 
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.
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.
Today 11th 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 (19th 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 
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,
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”.
Last Friday, September 17th, we announced the expansion of our 
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.
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.”
Work on developing and activating the Strategy, which encompasses environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues relevant to the company and its operations, began in 2018 leading to today’s launch at our Carrickmines offices. Our broadband network is 100% fibre, with no copper at any point, also making it significantly more energy efficient (by up to 60% and emitting less carbon emissions (over 80% less) than traditional copper or cable broadband networks).
According to SIRO CEO John Keaney: “Today’s launch is the culmination of several years’ work at SIRO, first to measure our outputs and impact on the environment and broader sustainability targets and second, to then act to become cleaner, greener and more sustainable as a leading Irish telecoms business."
Mr Keaney stressed the urgency for action: “Change is never easy or convenient. Becoming sustainable and protecting both people and planet is no longer a choice, but an essential, enduring activity; one which business leaders must champion. Technology can be a great enabler of more sustainable living.
SIRO’s 100% fibre broadband is empowering communities and businesses to become more sustainable in areas such as remote working and reduced commuting; smart homes and cities; enhanced business productivity reducing emissions and driving greater energy efficiency. SIRO’s fibre broadband network is also the cleanest broadband available today, using less energy than traditional copper networks and emitting significantly less harmful emissions. This further highlights the focus that all stakeholders must place on achieving a full fibre Ireland, not least because of the contribution it can make to Ireland meeting climate change and sustainability commitments”, added Mr. Keaney.
As we approach another school year, the positive expectation is that students will return to classrooms or lecture halls. It’s critical we take the experiences, good and bad, from e-learning during COVID-19, apply them and adapt accordingly to ensure it remains a significant and responsive part of how we deliver education. Partially due to COVID, remote learning is flourishing. Benefits include the ability to work at your own pace, greater personal control over learning and potential savings on transport and accommodation.
Naturally, the more people participating on a call with video and audio included will increase the bandwidth requirements for these applications, and the factor of “peak” or “off-peak” times will skew the figures too. Therefore, FTTH (Fibre-To-The-Home) connectivity should not be considered a luxury rather an essential utility accessibility to all Irish homes.
Progress is being made. Fibre broadband is now available to 53% of Irish homes and businesses, but the urgency with which the remaining 47% (or as close as possible to it) needs to be rolled out cannot be overstated. Estonia shows what’s possible. As far back as 1997, Estonia declared internet access a basic right and set an example of what Ireland should put into practice in terms of Digital Learning. These included connecting all schools with connectivity, equipping them with smart learning devices and introducing ‘eKool’ - a system which both manages the school and includes digital exercise books, learning materials and an online overview of grades and performance. The result? Estonia sits top of European league tables for digital learning.