FTTH Council Europe Unveils 2020 Fibre Market Panorama and European Ranking

“The Fibre To The Home (FTTH) Council has published its annual EU Market Panorama today with encouraging news for Ireland. Ireland’s FTTH now covers 700,000 homes (more than one third of the housing stock) up from 400,000 last year and Ireland is cited in the report as having the second highest growth rate (70%) of homes passed in the EU 28. With 145,000 subscriptions Ireland now has almost 8% of households actually connected to FTTH doubling its rate of 3.8% last year. This has moved Ireland up 2 places from 20^th position in the EU 28 league table to 18^th” In this article Stephen O’Connor examines the report and latest Fibre trends. There are two reports issued annually that are of keen interest to people who follow the EU Digital Agenda. The first is the EU “Digital Economy and Society Index” (DESI) report published each June which tracks the tracks the evolution of EU member states in digital competitiveness. It covers Connectivity, Digital Skills, and usage by Citizens, Businesses and Public Sector. Encouragingly Ireland moved up one place overall from 8^th to 7^th in June 2019 which is a strong performance among the EU28. The second report is the annual FTTH (Fibre To The Home) Market Panorama which tracks the Homes Passed and Homes Connected to full fibre networks throughout Europe. The report includes the latest EU ranking of countries and is published by the FTTH Council at their annual conference which is supposed to be taking place this week in Berlin. Instead the Council published the panorama in a webinar today. The results were encouraging both for Europe and Ireland. Total EU homes passed is now 88 million (40% of premises) up from 74 million last year, with 38 million active subscriptions (up from 32 million last year). Ireland, with 700,000 homes now passed and 145,000 subscriptions (ComReg data Q3 2019) in Sept 2019, has just under 8% of households connected to FTTH up from 3.8% last year. Almost doubling FTTH subscriptions from 75,000 to 145,000 has moved Ireland up from 20^th position in the EU 28 league table to 18^th passing out Italy and Poland. [caption id="attachment_5325" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] European Ranking of FTTH September 2019[/caption] While Ireland still lags behind the Baltics and Scandanavians (as well as Spain & Portugal which have seen significant investment) it is worth noting that Ireland is still ahead of Germany, Austria and the UK, while Belgium and Greece have yet to join the league table. To join the league table you need to have a minimum of 1% of households subscribing to an FTTH service. Ireland first joined this group in September 2017 after SIRO reached 30,000 subscriptions and became the 23rd member of the EU 28 to join the table. The UK subsequently joined the table in 2019. The Fibre conversation has changed a lot in Ireland in recent years and the rate of market investment is at unprecedented levels. Ireland is cited in the report as having the second highest growth rate (70%) of homes passed in the EU 28. At the panorama measurement date (Sept 2019) Ireland had 145,000 household FTTH subscribers (up from 75,000 in 2018) moving Ireland up from 3.8% penetration to 7.9%. Summary SIRO has passed 320,000 FTTH premises in 50 urban locations in Ireland and its plans will be supplemented by other operators and also the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) which will support next generation access to 540,000 rural homes and businesses. In total, Ireland has c.700,000 homes passed with 100% fibre and clearly has ground to make up on our European peers both in network build and penetration (EU 28 average penetration is 17%), but being included in the panorama and moving up 2 places in the rankings is an important step to join the EU digital front runners. Network deployment and subscription growth across the EU will be driven by incumbents moving to “copper switch off”, increased home working, increased data usage, and clearer Fibre advertising standards. Based on this report there are real causes for optimism that this once in a lifetime transition from legacy copper to full fibre will happen in Ireland and the EU 28. The next stop is the rearranged FTTH Conference in Berlin in December 2020.

Blacknight has become the latest company to offer Gigabit Fibre Broadband services powered by SIRO, with the company targeting businesses in Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford initially, before expanding to more towns over the next twelve months. With nearly 100,000 customers across the globe, Blacknight is known as a market leader in the provision of hosting and co-location services ranging from small single web site hosting to complex backup, connectivity, colocation and security solutions. The ability to add Gigabit Fibre Broadband to its range of services will strengthen its offers to SME and Enterprise customers. Blacknight will be able to leverage SIRO’s €450 million Gigabit broadband network, which is 100% Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) and has no copper connections at any point to slow the service down, to offer the most powerful broadband services in Ireland to businesses in the three towns. The SIRO network offers businesses and enterprise the best available network in terms of speed, reliability and security. No other connection can compare with 100% fibre, which supports symmetric speeds of 1 Gigabit, 50 times the upload speeds of traditional copper networks. Welcoming the new retail partnership, SIRO Chief Commercial Officer Ronan Whelan said: “The quality of SIRO’s Gigabit connectivity is underlined by Blacknight coming on board as our 16^th retail partner. Built on the ESB network, SIRO offers businesses and enterprise best-in-class connectivity with symmetric speeds, allowing them to transfer files and videoconference in high definition across the world on a network that is secure and futureproofed.” Blacknight Paul Kelly, Chief Technical Officer added: “Adding Gigabit Fibre Broadband to the range of products we offer to our customers means that we can offer a one stop shop for businesses online needs. Our success has been built on a combination of leading-edge technology and superior customer service. Adding a product such as SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic broadband fits perfectly with our brand, and enables us to provide a high quality service that our customers expect from us. We are looking forward to growing our partnership with SIRO, with both companies’ future success going hand-in-hand.” SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland, with a network scale of over 300,000 homes and businesses across Ireland. SIRO will continue investment to support expanding it’s network footprint.

SIRO, the wholesale broadband operator building Ireland’s only 100% fibre optic network, has announced a new partnership with Cork Internet eXchange (CIX), which will enable the Cork company to resell services powered by SIRO to fixed broadband retailers. 30,000 homes already receive broadband services from CIX customers, and this new partnership ensures that their clients will be able to access to SIRO’s Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) technology, which is recognised as the gold standard for broadband connectivity internationally. CIX is a data centre which provides a fully-resilient network that delivers lightning-speed Internet connectivity to more than 100 Cork companies. The company recently doubled the size of its operations following a €6 million investment to construct a new data centre. The expansion and new partnership with SIRO forms part of Cork Internet eXchange’s strategy to ensure that the Munster region continues to be highly attractive as a location for investment by multinationals. Using the existing ESB network, SIRO delivers fibre optic cables all the way to the building, enabling the wholesale broadband operator to deliver a 100% fibre-optic internet connection, making it better and more reliable than any other broadband infrastructure in Ireland. Providing symmetrical speeds of 1G, the SIRO network supports upload speeds that are over 50 times faster than traditional copper networks. For business and enterprise customers in Cork, having access to a high speed always –on connection, allowing them to transfer large data files and videoconference in high definition with anyone anywhere anytime, is transformative. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland and its network now has 15 retailers offering connections to over 275 thousand homes and businesses across Ireland, driving competition in the retail market. Commenting on the new partnership, Jerry McSweeney, CEO of CIX, said: “This is another example of our sustained investment to ensure that Cork Internet eXchange is in a position to provide our customers with the best connectivity in the region. Having doubled in size over the past ten years and quintupling our data capacity, giving access to SIRO’s Gigabit broadband to our clients adds another string to our bow and underlines Cork’s position as the broadband capital of Ireland.” Alex French of SIRO, added: “SIRO is already powering a digital transformation in Cork as we forge ahead with a €70 million investment in the County. Cork and the wider Munster region is a key focus for our rollout given the wealth of multinationals and Irish firms expanding abroad who all depend on connectivity to power their businesses. This partnership with CIX is a crucial element of our strategy given the firm’s reputation and customer base; ultimately laying the foundation for us to add multiple broadband retailers and foster competition in the region.”

As game developers, content creators and gamers from across the globe anticipate the arrival of the new gaming platform Google STADIA, SIRO’s Chief Technology Officer, Suzanne Tracy, provides insight into the evolving Video Games Industry and SIRO’s role in supporting the games development sector in Ireland. It’s an exciting time for the Games industry. According to NewZoo insights over 2bn people play video games worldwide and 2m of those are in Ireland. Gaming is evolving towards a predominantly online platform and new trends such as e-sports and Twitch streaming have shifted how developers design their games. Today, Google launches STADIA, a cloud-based streaming platform that has been dubbed as the “future of online gaming”.  For the uninitiated, Google STADIA essentially allows its players to stream their game from any device using Google’s data centres, hardware and cloud technology rather than download game files. There has been much discourse over the network capabilities required for the best gameplay possible. Google say that the speed required for STADIA is 35 Mega Bits Per Second (mbps) however other performance factors such as latency (or “ping”) which measures the response time (in milliseconds) for an internet connection, is the determining factor for a completely seamless experience.  In a recent survey conducted by UK Broadband provider, CityFibre, more than four fifths (85%) thought that their gaming performance would improve if they had access to a 100 per cent fibre, ultra-low latency connection. Generally, anything below 20 milliseconds (ms) is considered fantastic. With SIRO’s 100% fibre to the home (FTTH) network, we aim to offer a ping rate of less than 10ms on average, allowing users to play at their best without delay.

SIRO’s Role in E-Sports

Globally, the Games industry is estimated to be worth more than $150bn annually, more than the film, music and television industry combined. Much of the recent increase in revenue can be attributed to the rise in popularity of online gaming and e-sports, driven in part by better internet connectivity across the globe. 2019 is set to be the first year where the global e-sports industry tops $1bn in revenue.  At €216m per annum, Ireland currently ranks 43^rd globally in revenue for gaming (an increase of 20% or €36m since 2018). We also rank 53^rd in e-sports league tables and according to PwC Ireland, along with gaming, the combined market is set to grow by a further 27% by 2023. It is estimated that e-sports has a global audience of 600 million people with 470,000 regular Irish viewers and players, according to the Irish Independent.  Broadband provider Pure Telecom reported that 22% of adults “watch or participate in e-sports” with 36% of Irish adults relying on a connection to play their game. Some commentators, such as iKydz estimate that 40% of internet usage in Ireland is exclusively online gaming. The rise in popularity of e-sports is coupled with the success of streaming platforms like Twitch which allows its users to share a live feed of their gameplay to fans across the globe. Twitch was initially created in 2011 but has grown rapidly since Amazon acquired it for $1bn in 2014. In 2018, it was estimated that over 1.3bn hours of Fortnite were watched alone.  E-sports tournaments such as the League of Legends 2019 championship have racked up over 1.7m peak viewers on for a single event. With this in mind, the popularity of e-sports in Ireland cannot be understated. Recently, Ireland played host to Insomnia Gaming Festival, an e-sports and gaming event that has been running in the UK for over 20 years and has reached destinations as far as Dubai. Thousands of e-sports enthusiasts flocked to Dublin to support their favourite teams, meet notable industry celebrities and experience the latest in online gaming. Most online games require a minimum connection of 10-25mbps to take part however for serious and professional players, the bare minimum connection doesn’t suffice and other considerations such as latency are just as important. It’s been reported that gamers are twice as likely to quit a game when they experience a network delay of an additional 0.5 milliseconds. At SIRO, we provide the gold standard in connectivity with speeds of 1 Gigabit per second (Gbps) which is 1,000 Mbps, with very low latency and jitter (the fluctuation of latency over time) to over 45 regional towns across Ireland. Whether your connection is required for professional or amateur use, SIRO guarantees a reliable, seamless gaming experience that will allow you to hone your skills.

Gaming and the Audio Visual Sector in Ireland

As well as catering towards the online gaming community, fibre to the building (FTTB) broadband can support the game development community in Ireland. Game development is a vital part of the broader Audio Visual sector in Ireland which consists of film, TV and animation, commercials, video games and radio. According to the 2018 Olsberg report, there are circa 17,000 jobs in the sector which have a Gross Value Added of over €1bn. Ireland is home to international gaming giants such as Activision Blizzard, EA and Microsoft and while the presence of their games development hubs strategically positions Ireland in the European Games Industry, local independent game developers say they need policy and infrastructural support to compete internationally. The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Audio Visual Action Plan 2018 sets out the Governments objectives to boost investment in Ireland’s broader AV sector including emphasis on the significance of investment in the Video Games industry in Ireland to boost its competitiveness in the global market. The report has been welcomed by “IMIRT”, the industry organisation that supports games developments in Ireland but cites a number of concerns and challenges, beyond investment, in realising the potential of the industry. IMIRT Chairperson, Brenda Romero recommended that “co-working space[s] where developers with different areas of expertise could work together would elevate skill levels, offer space for community events and provide a common destination for potential partners to meet with Irish game developers.” In addition, gaming developers need access to very high capacity network (“VHCN”), i.e. fibre, in office spaces is essential as more and more, gaming evolves towards a predominantly online platform. According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index Internet gaming traffic is set to be 4 percent of global IP traffic by 2022, an increase of 1 percent in 2017. For cloud-based gaming such as STADIA to be possible, VHCN and an interconnected ICT infrastructure are required to handle the high bandwidth use from the server to the business

SIRO Supporting Gaming

SIRO provides 100% Fibre to the building (FTTB) broadband, enabling businesses who are developing games and gamers themselves experience an uncongested 1 Gigabit (1,000mbps) internet connection, always on and with very low latency and jitter. Currently, SIRO’s 100% fibre network is available to 45 towns and 285,000 homes and businesses nationwide. In addition, SIRO and Vodafone, recognising a need for co-working digital hubs in regional Ireland launched a “Gigabit Hub Programme” where qualifying digital hubs and co-working spaces are supported with Gigabit broadband. These Gigabit Hubs (of which there are now 15 nationwide) provide the space and the connectivity required by independent games developers. Whether it’s uploading data-heavy raw files or large game projects, a SIRO FTTB connection is the gold standard in connectivity for the gaming sector and means that independent games developers need not travel to Dublin to find that connectivity and space. This means the next independent Irish games company could come from Carlow or Cavan. Find out more about the role of SIRO Gigabit broadband in optimising online gaming.   Check your availability or email info@siro.ie   

Pictured Left to right Des Corbett, CEO Nova Telecom, Ronan Whelan CCO SIRO and Dave McDonald CTO Nova Telecom SIRO has welcomed Nova Telecom to its stable of retail partners. Offering 100% Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) 1 Gigabit broadband in Cork, with services going live on October 1^st this year and ultimately available to over 65,000 homes and business in the county. The decision to offer FTTP broadband services powered by SIRO supports Nova Telecom’s existing Fixed Wireless Access, Dedicated Internet Access (DIA), and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) services. SIRO’s 100% fibre network provides businesses with high-speed always-on connections for data, voice and video. It supports upload speeds of up to 1G, over 50 times the upload speed of traditional copper networks and allows businesses to transfer files and videoconference in high definition across the world. SIRO’s network is brand new and built on the ESB infrastructure allowing businesses to experience industry-leading reliability and service levels. Welcoming Nova Telecom, SIRO’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ronan Whelan said: “Our partnership with Nova Telecom illustrates how SIRO is driving competition in Ireland’s broadband marketplace. For businesses, SIRO provides best-in-class symmetric, reliable and built on wholly diverse ESB infrastructure. Our ambition is to make Cork the broadband capital of Ireland and this announcement supports this goal. Our Gigabit connectivity will complement Nova Telecom’s existing infrastructure and will give its residential and business customers in Cork internet services that are future proofed it for the next 20 years and beyond.” Nova Telecom Founder and CTO, Dave McDonald 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 provide our customers with SIRO powered broadband packages of 1 Gigabit per second, enabling us to deliver the most powerful broadband service available in Ireland. We will be offering fantastic Service Level Agreements to our business customers, giving them the peace of mind that top-notch connectivity with enhanced business-grade support brings. With the quality of service and support Nova Telecom offers our customer base, this product will set us apart from the market.” Nova Telecom has been providing business internet, voice and data services along with an alternative residential broadband service since 2004. Nova Telecom is trusted by thousands of Irish and multinational business users in both the enterprise and SME sectors.

SIRO has welcomed Magnet Networks to its family of retail partners offering its Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) 1 Gigabit broadband to Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork, Drogheda and Dundalk with plans to expand to several more towns in the next 6 to 12 months. The decision to offer FTTH broadband services powered by SIRO supports Magnet Networks’ existing operations as a leading business telecommunication, data connectivity and security services provider, with headquarters in Ireland and offices around the world.  

Connecting Businesses to Gigabit Broadband

Welcoming Magnet Networks, SIRO CEO, John Keaney said: “Our partnership with Magnet Networks is the latest example of how SIRO is transforming the broadband experience in Ireland.  We have built a 100% Fibre optic network covering 250,000 premises in 45 towns across Ireland and we already have more than 45,000 domestic customers who are enjoying the best broadband experience in the country. This partnership means we are giving Magnet Networks the firepower to offer gigabit connectivity to their business and enterprise customers in six locations initially (Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Cork, Drogheda and Dundalk). When Magnet’s customers order SIRO they will get 100% fibre and nothing less.” Magnet Networks Managing Director, Stephen Brewer added: “Partnering with SIRO will allow us to provide best-in-class One Gigabit per second Fibre-To-The-Business broadband to customers. This partnership allows Magnet Networks to extend the reach of what is already Ireland’s largest connectivity network. We work with multiple partners to bring enterprise class business broadband connectivity to virtually anywhere in the country. The challenge in Ireland is to make pure fibre broadband available to as many businesses as possible, to enable them to do more with their business, and this where SIRO and Magnet Networks can make a difference. We are a global company with thousands of business and enterprise clients nationally and internationally and are growing at a phenomenal rate because of our expertise in the commercial market.” Magnet Networks operates the country’s biggest connectivity network, and was the first provider to grant one-stop access to all business options offered by every major network operator in Ireland. The company works with some of the biggest names in international logistics and technology on a global basis, building on the reputation and expertise that they have built up in Ireland.  

SIRO's 100% Fibre-Optic Broadband

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 faster than the best service available in Dublin (350 Mbps) and 10 times more powerful than the fastest average internet speed in Ireland. SIRO’s 100% fibre-optic FTTH technology is recognised as the gold standard for broadband connectivity internationally and is the fastest growing segment of the Irish broadband market with FTTH connections spiking by 163.6% in the past year according to ComReg data.

SIRO, the open-access wholesale broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network, has announced The Brewery in Dundalk as its first Gigabit Park. The connections are available to 39 businesses in the park, provided by SIRO’s retail partner Digiweb. SIRO’s Gigabit connectivity will allow businesses to avail of broadband that 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. Built on a 20-acre site on the outskirts of Dundalk, The Brewery Business Park, which is developed on the site of the former Macardle Moore brewery, has been transformed into a vibrant business park, exploiting the many assets that this location possesses. Digiweb provide several 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 €44.95 per month. Digiweb’s “Electric Broadband” services went live in Dundalk in 2016.  

New Investment in Dundalk

Commenting on the announcement, SIRO's Chief Commercial Officer, Ronan Whelan, said: “We are delighted to boost the success of companies in residence at The Brewery Business Park. Dundalk was the first town in the country connected to the SIRO network and the demand has been phenomenal to date. This announcement forms part of our strategy to revitalise towns across Ireland by sparking a digital transformation, helping to attract investment and encouraging more people to establish businesses in regional towns like Dundalk. “Our network is better than the alternatives as it is powered entirely by light, future-proofing the country’s broadband needs for decades. This investment will give these businesses access to the most powerful broadband available in Ireland, enabling them to have the same competitive advantage in terms of connectivity as leading international hubs like Tokyo and Hong Kong.” Digiweb Operations Manager, Brendan McGahon, added: “Since joining the SIRO network in 2016, we have seen the profound benefits that our Electric Broadband powered by SIRO delivers to business. Companies at The Brewery Business Park now have access to the gold standard for broadband internationally and we have no doubt that it will enable them to reach new heights. Our Fibre-to-the-Home Electric Broadband powered by SIRO service is now available to over 250,000 premises nationwide. As this number continues to grow, along with our partners in SIRO we will be actively looking for opportunities to provide solutions into similar business parks countrywide.”  

SIRO's Retail Family is Growing

SIRO is a joint venture of ESB and Vodafone which is investing €450 million in building Ireland’s first 100% Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) broadband network to 50 towns and city areas throughout Ireland. 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. The wholesale broadband operator’s network now has 11 retailers offering connections to over 250,000 homes and businesses in 45 towns across the country. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland. SIRO has formed partnerships with 11 operators – Vodafone, Digiweb, Sky, BT, Carnsore Broadband, Rocket Broadband, Kerry Broadband, eNet, Airwire, Pure Telecom and WestNet – with more retailers expected to come on board as the company drives competition in the wholesale broadband market.

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

Fibre-Optic Cables Straight to the Home

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

High-Speed Broadband is Attracting Investors to Galway

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

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

Construction Begins in Buncrana

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

SIRO rollout expanding from regional towns

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

SIRO is Expanding the Gigabit Hub Initiative

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

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

Expansion of Gigabit Hubs in Meath

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