Carnsore Broadband – Fourth Retail Partner

SIRO Announces Carnsore Broadband As Its Fourth Retail Partner For Its 100% Fibre Optic Gigabit Broadband Network

SIRO, the open-access wholesale broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, has announced that Carnsore Broadband has become its fourth retail partner. The new partnership is the latest example of SIRO enabling regional broadband providers to compete with national broadband retailers by powering them with its 1 Gigabit broadband network. Carnsore Broadband originally began as a community project in Carne in 2006, before incorporating as a company to provide broadband services across Wexford. The company’s business clients now include leading businesses in Wexford such as Done Deal, Hertz, Maldron Hotels & Partners and South East Radio. Carnsore Broadband’s ‘Flash Broadband’ services will be available soon in Wexford town and in the future to residents and businesses in Gorey and Enniscorthy, as SIRO’s phase one rollout continues. Carnsore Broadband will launch a number of 100% fibre optic broadband packages for both residential and business customers in Wexford town, with speeds ranging from 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) to 1000 Megabits per second (1 Gbps), with pricing from as little as €45 per month. This will transform the internet experience of SMEs, remote workers and consumers, putting Wexford town on a par with international hubs like Tokyo and Hong Kong for broadband connectivity. For context, a high definition film (4GB) would take one hour to download with a 10mbps connection - with SIRO it will take 30 seconds. Commenting about the new partnership with Carnsore Broadband, Sean Atkinson, Chief Executive of SIRO, said: “Our partnership with Carnsore Broadband is the latest example of how SIRO is transforming the broadband experience across Ireland. Not only are we delivering Gigabit connectivity to 50 towns across the country, but we are also giving regional broadband providers like Carnsore Broadband the firepower to compete with national broadband providers.” “SIRO is now on course to become the largest Fibre-to-the-Home provider in the country, helping to reverse the digital divide in Ireland. This new partnership is a key part of our ambition to become the new national telecoms infrastructure and also highlights that if we are successful in our bid for the National Broadband Plan regional broadband providers will be able to deliver future proofed broadband services to every premises in their county.” Barry Darmody, Managing Director of Carnsore Broadband, added: “This is a game changer for our business. There is nothing faster than the speed of light, so our customers will be guaranteed the best broadband experience in the country thanks to SIRO’s 100% fibre optic network. Residents and businesses in Wexford town will be able to avail of next generation services due to SIRO’s Gigabit connectivity.” “As a Wexford born-and-bred company, we have seen first-hand how vital internet access has become for the personal and professional lives of everyone in the county. By offering access to SIRO’s unrivalled broadband network, we will literally change people’s lives, whether it’s giving a business the foundation to grow its customer base by selling online or giving students access to the best educational resources on the internet.” Customers interested in availing of Carnsore Broadband’s SIRO powered products should log onto http://www.carnsorebroadband.com.

Westnet announced as SIRO’s third retail partner

An Taoiseach Enda Kenny TD has announced that construction is now underway on SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic broadband network in Castlebar and that services will become available from retail partners in December. Westnet, the Mayo based broadband provider, has also been unveiled as SIRO’s third retail partner. SIRO’s plans were presented at an event in Lough Lannagh Holiday Village, in association with Mayo County Council. SIRO, the open-access broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, will enable Castlebar residents and businesses to take advantage of its Gigabit connectivity. This will transform the internet experience of SMEs, remote workers and consumers in Castlebar, putting the town on a par with international hubs like Tokyo and Hong Kong for broadband connectivity. For context, a high definition film (4GB) would take one hour to download with a 10mbps connection - with SIRO it will take 30 seconds. Westnet will launch a number of 100% fibre optic broadband packages for both residential and business customers in Castlebar, with speeds ranging from 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) to one Gigabit per second (Gbps), with pricing from as little as €45 per month. Welcoming this positive announcement for Castlebar, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: "SIRO's investment will put Castlebar on par with broadband speeds found in major cities around the world. It is especially fitting that Castlebar has been chosen as one of the first ten towns in the country to benefit from being part of SIRO's €450million network. There is a double benefit to Castlebar in that Westnet based on the Moneen Road, Castlebar, have also been announced as a retail partner for SIRO. This is the first SIRO roll-out in Mayo and I look forward to them progressing to their next roll-out in Westport. Once completed, this will serve as a real game changer for high-speed broadband in Castlebar and is part of a range of recent positive developments for the county town. These include the Fort Wayne Metals jobs announcement last week and the construction of the IDA's €5 million Advance Facility on the Breaffy Road." Westnet CEO and co-founder Paul Cunnane commented: “Having a good broadband service is essential in this day and age, so we are delighted to offer Castlebar residents and businesses broadband that is different and better than any other network in Ireland. As a regional broadband provider, it is fantastic to be able to avail of SIRO’s open access network as we can compete with any rival in the area. As our company was founded and is based in Mayo, our customers are guaranteed the best service as they are dealing with staff from the community, as well being safe in the knowledge that their money is being reinvested back into the local economy.” Peter Hynes, Chief Executive, Mayo County Council, added: “Mayo County Council welcomes this major step forward for Castlebar and will look forward to collaborating with SIRO and Westnet to ensure every business and home in Castlebar has access to state of the art digital communications in the very near future.” Sean Atkinson, SIRO CEO, added: “Our partnership with Westnet is another example of how we are actively driving competition in Ireland’s broadband market. This deal in particular illustrates how we will enable regional broadband providers to become fibre providers in their own right. We have had a lot of interest from retail partners as our 100% fibre optic broadband network offers a future proofed solution that will enable their customers to avail of next generation services.” 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’s 100% fibre-to-the-building network is three times faster than the best service available in Dublin and over 10 times the best service available in the rest of Ireland. By the end of 2016, services will be live or construction work will be underway in 17 towns across the country by the end of the year – Dundalk, Cavan, Carrigaline, Sligo, Letterkenny, Tralee, Wexford, Drogheda, Westport, Portlaoise, Castlebar, Mullingar, Newbridge, Ennis, Ratheniska, Carlow and Skibbereen.

What does Castlebar have to say about broadband?

We asked the people of Castlebar what high-speed fibre optic broadband would mean to them, for their lives and businesses and this is what they had to say: [embed]https://youtu.be/X23UHwu7mkM[/embed]

SIRO to invest €40 million in rollout to 6 new towns by end of 2016

SIRO, the open-access broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, has announced that it will invest €40 million to expand its rollout to its next six locations – Mullingar, Newbridge, Ennis, Portlaoise, Drogheda and Carlow. As a result, services will be live or construction work will be underway in 17 towns across the country by the end of the year – Dundalk, Cavan, Carrigaline, Sligo, Letterkenny, Tralee, Wexford, Drogheda, Westport, Castlebar, Mullingar, Newbridge, Ennis, Ratheniska, Carlow and Skibbereen. SIRO’s 100% fibre optic broadband network is having a transformative effect in regional towns where services are live, with regional towns like Tralee and Sligo gaining the same level of connectivity as international hubs like Tokyo and Hong Kong. SIRO towns are able to attract investment and encourage more people to live and work within their local community. For example, the Skibbereen community which came together to launch their Ludgate Hub - powered by SIRO 1 Gigabit connectivity- aims to create 500 jobs in five years in the West Cork region and provide a multi-million euro boost to the local economy. Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships, Sean Atkinson, SIRO CEO, said: “Since we started construction in August last year, we have received a fantastic response in our roll out towns. We are delighted to add six new fibrehoods to our network build. We are now passing 10,000 premises per month and working in 17 towns. SIRO gives consumers and businesses in regional Ireland access to far better services than that available in Dublin and other cities, thus reversing the digital divide and allowing them to compete more effectively for investment and jobs. It is our ambition to become Ireland’s new national Telecoms infrastructure. We have plans for a second phase which covers over 300 smaller towns and we are shortlisted for the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) which aims to deliver high speed access to all citizens by 2020. We believe that Fibre-to-the-Building is the only solution capable of future proofing Ireland’s needs.” With 25% of Irish fixed broadband connections currently offering speeds of less than 10 Mbps, SIRO is a step-change in connectivity for regional Ireland. SIRO’s 100% fibre-to-the-building 1 Gigabit service is three times faster than the best service available in Dublin and over 10 times the best service available in the rest of Ireland. SIRO’s €450m network will meet the needs of Irish Internet users, now and in the future. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO is delivered by fibre optic cables 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 example, a high definition film (4GB) takes one hour to download with a 10 Mbps connection - with SIRO it will take 30 seconds. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland. Last month SIRO revealed Digiweb will offer services via its 100% fibre-optic Gigabit broadband network, joining Vodafone as its second retail partner. Discussions with other retail partners are ongoing. 1 Comreg Quarterly data, Q2 2016

Digiweb Launches 1 Gigabit Broadband Service In Partnership With SIRO

SIRO, the open-access wholesale broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, has announced that Digiweb has become its second retail partner. Digiweb will now launch a number of 100% fibre optic broadband packages for both residential and business customers, with speeds ranging from 150 Megabits per second (Mbps) to one Gigabit per second (Gbps), with pricing from as little as €45 per month. Digiweb’s “Electric Broadband” services will go live in Dundalk, Letterkenny and Drogheda during 2016, before Digiweb increases its availability across the country as SIRO’s rollout continues. SIRO’s differentiator is that it is a 100% fibre-optic internet connection, making it better than any other broadband infrastructure in Ireland, with no copper connection at any point in the network. SIRO’s Gigabit connectivity, is three times as powerful as the market leading service in Dublin and 10 times as powerful as the market leading service in rural Ireland. The 100% fibre-optic broadband network is already helping to reverse the digital divide in rural areas, with the recent launch of the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen illustrating the impact of Gigabit connectivity. The roll out of SIRO will help to boost Ireland’s rural economy facilitating reliable services like remote working and will foster and maintain a strong local startup community. Skibbereen, with its recently launched Ludgate Hub, is one such town that has seen the impact of strong connectivity, which will bring the same level of connectivity as leading international business hubs like Hong Kong and Tokyo. Commenting about the partnership with Digiweb, Sean Atkinson, Chief Executive of SIRO, said: “Our partnership with Digiweb illustrates how SIRO is driving competition in Ireland’s broadband marketplace. Our network is better than the alternatives as it is powered entirely by light, future-proofing the country’s broadband needs for decades. Our ambition is to become the new national telecoms infrastructure. We want to migrate Ireland from legacy copper based networks to 100% fibre-optic networks, this will ensure that people across the country can avail of next generation services and drive the economy forward.” Declan Campbell, Managing Director of Digiweb, added: “This is a different kind of internet and we are delighted to be offering our customers the choice. It will be great to be able to offer our customers SIRO powered broadband packages of up to 1Gbps, enabling us to deliver one of the most powerful broadband services available in Ireland. On a number of levels the introduction of this service will differentiate us from most of the competition. With the quality of service and support Digiweb offer our customer base, this product will set us apart from the market. As one of the first broadband retailers to offer services on the SIRO network, this is the latest milestone as part of our strategy of delivering the best broadband experience in the country.” Customers interested in availing of Digiweb’s SIRO powered products should log onto www.digiweb.ie.

What does Skibbereen have to say about broadband?

We asked the people of Skibbereen what high-speed fibre optic broadband would mean to them, for their lives and businesses and this is what they had to say: [embed]https://youtu.be/StOhZff91VA[/embed]

Stephen O'Connor discusses SIRO's Cavan rollout

Following the announcement that the SIRO rollout has commenced in Cavan town, SIRO Corporate Affairs Director Stephen O'Connor spoke with Northern Sound. Topics of discussion included reversing the digital divide and making regional towns more competitive. Have a listen here.

What does Drogheda have to say about broadband?

We asked the people of Drogheda what high-speed fibre optic broadband would mean to them, for their lives and businesses and this is what they had to say: [embed]https://youtu.be/JVSKo5b4YNk[/embed]

Tralee is now SIRO-powered with 100% fibre optic broadband network

SIRO, the ESB-Vodafone joint venture which is delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network to 50 towns nationwide, has today announced that its Tralee rollout has commenced with over 1,000 premises passed to date. The announcement was made at Ballygarry House Hotel in association with the Tralee Chamber Alliance. Tralee is the first town in Kerry that will receive the service, with Killarney also due to be connected as part of the first phase of SIRO’s rollout to 50 regional towns. SIRO’s Gigabit broadband network is three times as powerful as the market leading service in Dublin and ten times as powerful as the market leading service in rural Ireland. The 100% fibre optic service is powered by light, making it different and better than anything other broadband infrastructure in Ireland, with no copper connection at any point in the network. It will transform the internet experience of SMEs, remote workers and consumers in Tralee. A high definition film (4GB) takes one hour to download with a 10mbps connection - with SIRO it will take 30 seconds. SIRO is unique in that it exclusively offers a wholesale open access network meaning that it will be available to all telecoms operators in Ireland to resell to their customers. Tralee residents and businesses will be able to purchase broadband powered by SIRO from companies such as Vodafone, enabling them to avail of a future proofed service. Welcoming the rollout of SIRO, Moira Murrell, Chief Executive of Kerry County Council said, “Kerry County Council welcomes this event. It is very positive for the County of Kerry that a new competitive player has entered the Kerry broadband market. Kerry County Council will continue to work with all providers to roll out broadband which is essential to the growth of Kerry into the future.” Kieran Ruttledge, CEO of the Tralee Chamber Alliance said, “We welcome the announcement by SIRO that it will deliver a 100% fibre broadband network to Tralee. The existence of leading communications infrastructure is vital to businesses in Tralee, supporting their future growth and development. SIRO in Tralee will mean that businesses here can compete on a level playing field with counterparts not only in Ireland, but internationally and will be vital in attracting further investment to the town.” Sean Atkinson, CEO of SIRO, added: “SIRO is broadband at its best and our aim is to deliver a Gigabit society in Ireland. The rollout will have as big an impact as rural electrification and will change how people live and work forever. Our network is different and better than any other technology as it is powered entirely by light, future-proofing Kerry’s broadband needs for decades. We will enable Tralee to compete for foreign direct investment, enable local entrepreneurs to create the next Google or Facebook and let the public avail of next generation services in areas like education, health and remote working.”

This is the moment life in Tralee will change forever

Want to hear more about the benefits of our 100% fibre optic network? We're hosting a public town hall event in Ballygarry House, Leebrook Tralee on Friday 15th July at 8am. Come along and see how SIRO can transform how you live and work in Tralee. RSVP at info@sirobroadband.wpengine.com.