8,000 Homes in Enniscorthy and Gorey to get SIRO Fibre Broadband By End of 2021

SIRO, the joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, rolling out a new national 100% fibre broadband network across Ireland has today announced that the company is bringing fibre broadband to an additional 8,000 homes and businesses in Enniscorthy and Gorey. With this roll-out commencing in July; overall, SIRO is on a target to pass almost 20,000 premises across Wexford by end 2021. Demand for high-speed broadband is greater than ever and SIRO’s 1 Gigabit fibre broadband is providing families and businesses with faster video streaming service, a seamless work from home experience and ability to work on multiple devices without lags. SIRO’s fibre rollout in Wexford commenced in September 2016. Already close to 11.5K homes have been connected in County Wexford, including the towns of Enniscorthy, Courtown and Wexford town itself. An additional 8,000 homes and businesses in Enniscorthy and Gorey (and a small number in Wexford town where SIRO has already rolled out) will be passed by the company in the coming months - reaching close to 20K homes passed by SIRO by end of 2021. The total level of investment in the SIRO’s Wexford fibre broadband roll-out is more than €10 million. Ronan Whelan, Chief Commercial Officer, SIRO remarked, “Wexford was one of our first counties in which SIRO commenced our national roll-out, so it’s a significant milestone for the company that we will reach 20,000 homes passed by year end.  We are pleased that SIRO’s roll-out continued even during Covid-19 restrictions, particularly as broadband was needed more than ever by Wexford communities over the last 15 months. “As more businesses migrate online, the world emerging post COVID-19 demands connectivity and a broadband service which matches the fastest and most reliable services found anywhere in Ireland, indeed globally.  Fibre broadband meets this standard and is also future proofed for ever growing data demands. Outdated and slower copper connections are no longer good enough and are holding individuals and businesses back in doing their everyday, but essential, tasks online.”

Almost 400,000 Premises Now Available on the SIRO Network

Over the past five years, SIRO has rolled out fibre broadband to 64 towns across Ireland, passing almost 400,000 homes and businesses in the process. SIRO’s fibre broadband network utilises the ESB’s existing electrical network, ensuring greater reliability and a greener network. SIRO draws on both ESB’s heritage and on-the-ground knowledge and Vodafone’s telecoms expertise to roll out its fibre network. Fibre broadband ensures higher speeds, superior quality, and reliability far beyond what copper connections, being phased out across the world, offer. The company also noted the ongoing work by Wexford County Council in promoting increased remote working in the county by those who, pre-pandemic, commuted to cities such as Dublin and to encourage Dublin-based companies to consider locating in the county. Ronan Whelan noted:

“The position taken by Wexford County Council makes complete sense. People want lower costs of living, less commuting and a better quality of life. Wexford has so much to offer in these areas such as high-quality office accommodation, affordable housing, great quality of life and all within relatively close distance of Dublin. The final piece of the jigsaw to make it happen is broadband connectivity. Fibre broadband is the gamechanger in shifting people and investment back into regional Ireland, with SIRO’s roll-out to 64 regional towns including those in Wexford, working to that objective.”

SIRO is a wholesale provider, meaning homeowners in Co Wexford can avail of SIRO-backed fibre broadband through 7 different operators which are Sky, Vodafone, Digiweb, Blacknight, Pure Telecom, Rocket Broadband and Carnsore Broadband. Businessowners can also receive SIRO through Rocket Broadband, Vodafone, Pure Telecom, Carnsore Broadband and Blacknight. To check if your home or business can upgrade its connection to 100% Fibre-To-The-Premise Gigabit broadband, search your Eircode today.

On 17 June last, SIRO brought together a range of experts from the Irish video gaming industry, as part of our webinar “Gaming for Growth”. With diverse speakers from game development, eSports promotion and the IDA, the event explored if and how Ireland can grow the sector here further. The context to asking the question was important. The global video gaming industry is huge, valued at €140 billion annually. This makes it’s value twice that of the music, TV and film industries combined. It’s also an industry experiencing unprecedented global growth; up to 10% year-on-year. These numbers alone should make all stakeholders focused on economic growth and job creation sit up and take notice. Financial muscle apart, video gaming growth is now pervasive; it’s immersion across society evident all around us. Video games, already a significant consumer product before Covid-19, strengthened their market share of the entertainment sector even more during the pandemic. A recent Deloitte study  found that “87% of Generation Z, 83% of Millennials, and 79% of Generation X said they play video games on devices such as smartphones, gaming consoles, or computers at least weekly”. Equally interesting is who are now consuming video games. Here again, traditional perceptions no longer hold true with a rapid increase in female gamers. A 2019 study in the U.S finding that 46% of all gamers in the U.S. are female. A further key consideration about the industry’s growth is that it is now much more than just about mass entertainment. Gamification of multiple aspects of life, work or business is now standard. Take retail, eBay were one of the first to push gamification across a retail eCommerce platform. It’s competitive bidding system, buyer-seller feedback, and power of seller statuses turned eBay into a gamified platform. Others have followed, with Amazon applying gamification components albeit more subtly, in areas such as rating reviews or trusted sellers. Gamification is now also common in recruitment - used to test the aptitude of candidates or to give a better sense of the role with video simulation exercises. The U.S Army was one of the first to embrace this idea, providing would-be recruits with a gamified version of military exercises. In the UK, Asda trains staff with a smartphone game which simulates a store setting and customer conversations. Gamification has social applications too, increasingly used in healthcare for everything from surgical training to mental health and wellness programmes. In education too, the use of video games is now well embedded as part of the overall learning experience. These examples point to the diversification of video gaming stretching into expanding use cases. Add-in ever improving connectivity and reduced latency due to fibre broadband, as companies like SIRO roll-out high-speed fibre broadband, and the opportunity for Ireland to level up and grow the industry here further comes into focus. Ireland is not starting from a standing position. We have performed relatively well in developing the sector. Several of the bigger global players are already here, names like Activision or EA, in addition to a community of homegrown game development companies. Yet contributors at the SIRO video gaming event, noted the significant opportunity for Ireland to grab a much larger slice of the global video gaming pie. Key to this is supporting our indigenous game development companies to grow and scale. A template already exists. Internationally countries, such as France or Canada, who have rolled out ambitious national programmes have succeeded in creating world-leading domestic video gaming industries. Positively, their efforts have not gone unnoticed. As part of his Budget 2021 speech Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, announced that from January 2022 the video gaming sector would be able to avail of a tax relief scheme akin to the existing reliefs enjoyed by our film sector. The details are under discussion. The latter has been hugely instrumental in making Ireland a destination of choice for the film industry, creating a thriving local film sector. The hope is that, for the video gaming sector, it could have a similar impact. Though the proposed tax measures have been welcomed by the industry, a legitimate question has been raised by some industry players about the extent of the relief. In Canada, it’s possible for smaller game studios to receive financial assistance to support up to 40% of employees’ wages during their formative years. It’s a recognition that early-stage game studios can often have a couple of years with little or no revenue, in advance of securing a publishing deal. A factor attested to by John and Brenda Romero of Romero Games during the webinar when they spoke about their experiences of establishing their studio in Galway. The hope is that the Government’s proposal can be the starting point for further measures to grow video gaming development here. The return on investment for Ireland could be substantial not least because there are several factors which suggest the sector here is ripe to achieve to greater success. As noted, ever improving fibre broadband connectivity, and the ambition to reach effectively almost universal fibre coverage, makes Ireland a very attractive location for digital industries such as video gaming. Ireland’s position within the EU, as a Member State with a young, well-educated, digitally savvy and English-speaking population is another. Consider too the increasing range of creative, design and computing courses now available in our further and third level institutions. As the IDA’s Catherine Slowey pointed out a talent pipeline is key, and Ireland can point to a strong one. Yet with youth unemployment at 60%, many gifted graduates are struggling to find work right now. Covid-19 has upended many of the sectors of the economy we relied heavily on, such as hospitality and tourism. As we look to move beyond the pandemic, Ireland has a unique opportunity to reset and focus on industries which synch with an increasingly digitised world, such as video gaming. The attractiveness of Ireland to international and domestic video gaming players was best captured on the day by Brenda Romero, CEO of Romero Games, when she commented: “it made more sense to be here than it did to be in Silicon Valley...it made solid economic and solid creative sense to here [in Ireland]. We have zero regrets”. Amanda Glancy, Director of Corporate Affairs, SIRO.

SIRO’s Chief Commercial Officer, Ronan Whelan joined Mary O’Neill on WLR FM to discuss SIRO’s €7.5 million investment, connecting over 9,000 homes and businesses in Waterford city to 100% fibre broadband.

Fibre broadband wholesaler, SIRO, a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, which is rolling out a new 100% fibre network across Ireland, today confirmed that the company is on target to pass over 9,000 homes and businesses across Waterford city by the end of the year. The company also confirmed that SIRO will have invested €7.5 million by end 2021 as part of its’ Waterford city roll-out programme, bringing 1 Gigabit fibre broadband to homes and businesses. Access to high quality fibre broadband will provide city residents with a fit for purpose alterative to outdated and slower copper connections which many are still forced to rely on across the city. SIRO commenced its’ fibre broadband roll-out in Waterford city less than two years ago, in September 2019. The company’s fibre roll-out is ongoing, but to date it has passed premises in areas of the city such as Ferrybank, Ballybricken, Gracedieu, Lismore with plans to roll-out to additional areas such as Templar’s Hall and Foxwood by the end of year. SIRO has to date rolled out fibre broadband to 64 towns across Ireland, passing almost 400,000 homes and businesses in the process. The company’s fibre broadband network utilises the ESB’s existing electrical network, ensuring greater reliability and a reuse of existing infrastructure. Having both ESB and Vodafone as joint venture partners, allows SIRO to draw on both ESB’s heritage and on-the-ground knowledge and Vodafone’s telecoms expertise to roll out its fibre network. SIRO’s network is 100% fibre and delivered all the way into each home or business. Fibre broadband is the highest standard of broadband available and ensures higher speeds, superior quality and reliability, far beyond what copper connections being phased out across the world can offer. As working remotely, online schooling or shopping became a requirement during COVID-19 lockdowns, demand for SIRO’s fibre broadband has grown substantially amongst householders. Equally, with increased numbers of businesses across Ireland forced to close during three lockdowns, many pivoted online to ensure they could either continue to trade or increase their share of online sales. The company believes there is a significant pent-up demand for reliable fibre broadband in the South-East region, citing a recent Enterprise Ireland survey which shows 57% of workers surveyed from the region were seeking “availability of high-speed broadband. SIRO CEO John Keaney commenting on the company’s investment in Waterford city noted:

“SIRO is investing €7.5 million in its’ fibre broadband roll-out across Waterford city to end 2021 in recognition of the city’s importance as a growing commercial centre and the city’s potential for further significant economic development and job creation. Digital connectivity, unlocked through the availability of reliable, high quality fibre broadband which meets the demands of business and, now standard, multiple-device households, is essential to the city’s future growth and post-COVID-19 recovery. Fibre broadband is critical for Ireland’s regions to prosper, act as a counterbalance to larger cities such as Dublin or Cork and give people the option to work and live close to home. Research, particularly since COVID-19, shows people want to work locally or hybrid work provided they have access to a high speed and reliable broadband connection. Meeting this demand is, put simply, exactly what SIRO’s Waterford city roll-out is seeking to address,”

SIRO also notes the ambitious plans for the development of the city, such as through the Waterford 2040 – Find Your Future campaign aiming to decarbonise the city by 2040 or the Waterford County and City Council Development Plan, both of which have been developed by city civic and business leaders. These plans aim to grow the economic footprint of the city but also to create a city which is more sustainable and greener. According to John Keaney, SIRO’s fibre broadband network will provide a key foundation for these proposals, he noted:

“COVID-19 has shown that we don’t need to be stuck in our cars for hours on end, travelling long distances to work each day. Working from anywhere, whether our homes or a hub, is now feasible. This will do a lot to take cars off our streets, reduce carbon emissions and attract people back into our urban areas, but as more sustainable working and recreational spaces for workers and families. As SIRO’s fibre broadband roll-out in Waterford city accelerates, replacing out-dated copper connections, there is a further environmental return - with fibre 60% more energy efficient than copper. It also provides a future proofed broadband network primed to meet ever increasing data demands within the city over the years ahead.”

The company is urging all city homeowners and businesses struggling with online connectivity to check if fibre broadband is now available in their area.

SIRO Chief Commercial Officer Ronan Whelan: “Despite physical business closures over the past year, Irish consumers have looked to support local, Irish businesses. There is a huge opportunity for Irish businesses, post-pandemic, to continue to tap into the COVID-19 groundswell of consumer goodwill and loyalty toward Irish businesses.  However, it shouldn’t be taken for granted, with businesses still needing to improve in areas such as delivery charges and customer services”. A consumer survey undertaken by fibre broadband wholesaler, SIRO, has found high levels of support for Buying Irish amongst Irish consumers during COVID-19.  The research found that half of those surveyed indicated that they bought more Irish goods and services during the pandemic than previously and that their preference for Irish-first will continue post-COVID-19. Key findings from the research include: Importance of Buying Irish: 89% of people cite Buying Irish as being important to them, of those 37% believe it to be very important and 52% somewhat important. 11% stated they did not see it as important. Buying Irish during the pandemic: 50% of those surveyed responded that they are buying more Irish goods and services during the pandemic than they were prior to COVID-19. 41% stated the extent to which they Buy Irish is unchanged, with 7% buying less and 2% not sure. Buying Irish post-COVID-19: Of those who are buying more Irish goods and services during the pandemic, 79% say they will continue to prioritise Buying Irish after the pandemic has ended; with 19% not sure and 2% saying they will buy less. Support for Buying Irish amongst age groups and genders: Those 18-30 years of age are significantly more likely to see Buying Irish as ‘very important’ relative to older age groups. Equally of those surveyed, women were more likely to Buy Irish than men. Although no notable regional differences emerged. Reasons for Choosing Irish: The top three reasons are Buying Irish goods and services cited by respondents were supporting Irish and local businesses at 82%, the quality of goods and services at 63% and avoiding import taxes and charges at 49%. Most frustrating aspects of Buying Irish: The most common issues amongst respondents were delivery charges at 66% and customer services issues at 38%. Finally, when asked about choosing a broadband provider 34% surveyed had switched provider in the past year, with a desire for higher speeds and better value being the most cited reasons. Commenting on the survey results, SIRO Chief Commercial Officer Ronan Whelan noted: “What comes through so clearly in our research is that, despite physical business closures over the past year, Irish consumers in large numbers have looked to support local, Irish businesses, such as through online or click and collect services. This support for local and Irish has been pivotal in keeping many businesses afloat during the darkest days of COVID-19. “As Ireland now looks to recover and rebuild keeping this support engaged will be crucial. There is a huge opportunity for businesses to continue to tap into the COVID-19 groundswell of consumer goodwill and loyalty toward Irish businesses, once the pandemic has passed. “However, customer loyalty is earned and shouldn’t be taken for granted, with businesses still needing to continuously innovate and improve in areas such as delivery charges and customer services. “Today, SIRO is excited to announce that we are joining Guaranteed Irish. It’s a natural fit for SIRO. As an Irish company with a footprint across Ireland and through our work in connecting homes and business to high quality fibre broadband, like Guaranteed Irish, we have a shared objective of empowering Irish businesses to prosper and grow”. Guaranteed Irish CEO Bríd O’Connell stated: “I am delighted to welcome SIRO on board. As Ireland’s leading fibre optic broadband network, SIRO embraces our core values of building sustainable communities through enterprise, backing local jobs, and supporting homegrown Irish businesses to recover and grow. These values are showcased through SIRO’s commitment to connecting homes and businesses to high quality fibre broadband, in turn benefiting our local economy and supporting Irish jobs particularly in communities throughout the country.”

SIRO, the wholesale joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, have today announced that they have now rolled out their best-in-class gigabit fibre broadband to over 43,000 homes and businesses in Cork city and county. The company also announced that an additional 11,500 premises will be passed by the end of this year, bringing the total number to just under 55,000 or a third of all homes and businesses in Cork. Initially announced in 2017 by then Tánaiste and Minister for Transport, Simon Coveney, SIRO ambitiously set out to make Cork the “Broadband Capital of Ireland”. Since then, SIRO has been actively building a new national telecoms infrastructure right across Cork city and the wider county. SIRO’s network now stretches right across Cork city from Ballincollig, Glasheen, Bishopstown Douglas and Rochestown to Glanmire and within the county to towns such as Mallow, Midleton or Skibbereen. Nationally, SIRO has passed 375,000 homes and businesses right across regional Ireland. The SIRO network delivers 100% fibre all the way into the home or building, with no copper at any point all the way. This a high-quality, reliable and fast connection, with no slow down when multiple devices are working simultaneously, with equal download and upload speeds. Notwithstanding the restrictions due to COVID-19, SIRO has continued its fibre broadband roll-out across Cork during the pandemic. The need for connectivity amidst a global pandemic has motivated the company to further expedite their rollouts wherever possible. Cork residents, like those in every town and city across Ireland over the last 12 months, have had a huge demand for high quality broadband to enable remote working and trading online for local businesses, home schooling, movie and video streaming or online shopping. SIRO’s network has underpinned a new normal of large file sharing, video calls and live collaborative spaces. The company sees that even as the country opens up from lockdown that these trends will grow rather than revert to old ways of living and working. Commenting on the announcement, Cork Build Manager, Tricia McElliot said:

“We are delighted with the progress SIRO and our partner CBE have made in making Cork city and county. The efforts made by our dedicated build team and contractors is something that is commendable, especially as construction ceased temporarily as a result of the pandemic. Connectivity is not just for the pandemic, and SIRO’s 100% FTTP broadband aims to future proof homes and businesses for future data demand.”

John Keaney, SIRO CEO and Chair of Telecommunications Industry Ireland elaborated:

“SIRO are dedicated to our roll out in Cork City and County. Our roll out in the past year has been remotivated by the onslaught of COVID-19 and as a wholesaler, we are committed to delivering  resilient, quality FTTP broadband for homes and businesses across Cork. By the end of 2021, we will see approx. 55,000 homes and businesses across the Rebel County connected as part of our Phase One roll out, with plans to further develop our roll out across the county. Life is different now, and Cork’s broadband landscape is too."

SIRO is available to order from homes and businesses from the following retailers in Cork: Vodafone, Sky, Digiweb, PureTelecom, Nova Broadband and Viatel. Search your Eircode and find out if your home or business is SIRO ready.

SIRO, the joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, has today announced that they have reached a new milestone in Galway city of 25,000 homes and businesses passed. This milestone means that homes and businesses in Galway city and surrounding areas can now avail of the best-in-class fibre broadband connectivity. Notwithstanding the restrictions due to COVID-19, SIRO has continued its fibre broadband roll-out across Galway city during the pandemic. Over the last six months from September 2020 to end March 2021, SIRO rolled out fibre to 10,000 additional homes and business. The need for connectivity amidst a global pandemic has motivated the company to further expedite their rollouts wherever possible. Galway residents, like those in every town and city across Ireland over the last 12 months, have had a huge demand for high quality broadband to enable remote working and trading online for local businesses, home schooling, movie and video streaming or online shopping. Nationally, SIRO has passed 375,000 homes and businesses right across regional Ireland. In July 2019, SIRO commenced a €20m investment in rolling out the gold standard of connectivity to homes and businesses in Galway city, as part of its wider national fibre rollout programme. Less than two years on, SIRO’s fibre network is now available right across the city from east to west including: Oranmore and Oranhill, Roscam and Renmore, Ballybrit and Ballybane, Castlegar, Mervue and Salthill, Rockbarton, Shantalla and Rahoon, and Knocknacarra to Kingston. Tricia McElligott, SIRO’s Build Manager, responsible for the rollout of fibre in Galway remarked:

“Hitting the milestone of 25,000 homes and businesses passed in the city; and 10,000 over the last six months alone, is significant. Access to high quality broadband has never been so important to our communities and businesses. It has provided a lifeline to Galway businesses allowing them to trade online while their doors have remains closed, individuals to continue to work and for families and loved ones, physically separated, to remain virtually connected. “SIRO’s build team is incredibly proud to have played a small part in keeping Galway’s businesses and communities connected, despite the challenges presented by the pandemic”.

SIRO’s fibre-optic cables are faster and more reliable than copper cables, and households as well as businesses can now avail of speed up to 1Gb. Once connected, customers can choose from a variety of operators who are serving Galway city. The five operators available for homeowner are Digiweb, Sky, Vodafone, Airwire, and Pure Telecom. While four operators are available for businesses which are Digiweb, Viatel, Vodafone and Airwire. Commenting on the announcement, SIRO’s CEO John Keaney noted:

“Old copper networks are no longer fit for purpose and are leaving homes and businesses in the slow lane.  Across Ireland, reliable and fast internet with higher bandwidth is a necessity not luxury which adds an enormous responsibility in the work that we do. “Galway has always been a great and vibrant city. Fibre broadband provides a strong foundation for the continued development of the city and its businesses post-Covid, with enhanced connectivity also futureproofing the city for decades to come. So, the rollout of fibre in Galway city is an important part of SIRO’s ambitious plan for the country. “For SIRO, our roll-out is continuing but we’d urge all homeowners and businesses struggling with online connectivity to check if fibre broadband is now available in their area.”

Search your Eircode today and see if your home or business is SIRO ready.

  Over the last 12 months so much has changed in our lives in ways we could never have predicted. Yet, we have also adjusted, relatively, well to “the new normal”. With International Women’s Day upon us, where one of its’ missions this year is to “forge inclusive work cultures where women’s careers thrive”, it is timely to consider one of the biggest changes over the past year – working from home (WFH) – and its impact on women in the workforce. It is important to note, that while International Women’s Day highlights the significance of achieving gender equality in the workplace, it is a core goal that SIRO is committed to achieving all year long. As part of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 5 focuses on achieving gender equality and empower all women and girls, a goal which SIRO believes has become more relevant throughout the pandemic. During Level 5 lockdowns, over 40% of the Irish workforce worked from home. WFH quickly shifted from something done by a small segment of the population to a mainstream activity overnight. But for working women, the jury is still out on their recent experiences of WFH. For working mothers, anecdotal evidence paints a picture of exhausted mothers, at home and double jobbing between the paying office job and childminding and home schooling. Much of this narrative may be true but does it tell the full story of WFH for women? Not all women WFH are mothers or if they are, not all have childminding and home-schooling responsibilities. Equally, does it adequately take account of fathers and the roles they have also played in parenting during lockdown? Yet, according to OECD statistics, women in Ireland average almost 5 hours of unpaid work per day. While men in Ireland average just over 2 hours of unpaid work per day. The gap remains too wide. For true equality, we need a fairer sharing of responsibilities in the home. While the division of labour along traditional lines remains a factor, there are many reasons for this imbalance including more women opting to work as a full-time homemaker or women choosing to work part-time in a professional/paid role. The success or failure of the recent mass exodus toward WFH cannot be fully judged against a backdrop of extraordinary circumstances – schools and childcare facilities closed, shops, restaurants and other entertainment and leisure facilities shut, restricted travel, social distancing and no meeting with family, friends, and colleagues. Yet, for many the experience of WFH has been positive. Several employee surveys have shown a majority of employees either wish to remain working from home in a full or part time capacity, post-pandemic. As Chief Financial Officer at SIRO, a company rolling out high speed broadband across Ireland, I have more than a little vested interest in ensuring that WFH can work successfully, including for our employees. At SIRO we have long championed and promoted WFH amongst our non-field-based employees. This has allowed us to adapt more easily than others. We appreciate the huge benefits which can be derived from WFH and how life changing it can be. But as a woman too in this role, International Women’s Day, creates another moment to reflect on how we can continue to improve the lives of working women. With WFH, I see an opportunity for working women.

Opportunities of Working From Home

One of the greatest opportunities of WFH lies in its capacity to bring more women into the workforce. CSO data for the last quarter of 2020 tells us that while there was 69% male participation in the workforce, female participation lagged 13% behind at only 56%. And of these 56%, almost a third (30%) work part-time. Many factors such as access to and cost of childcare; commuting long distances to work; and even the cost of going out to work every day may make it unviable for women. WFH from home creates the capacity for women to reduce these barriers. The gender pay gap (GPG) is also linked, at least partially, to the issues outlined above. Eurostat data shows Ireland’s GPG stands at 14.4%. Campaigners seeking to close this gap, point out the gap effectively means women work for free from 9^th November to year end. WFH means women can work more flexibly, empowering women, who wish to, to shift from working part time hours to longer or full-time working, increasing their earnings and further reducing pay gaps. Another reason for the GPG is that, traditionally, men have tended to be in higher managerial roles, with higher salaries. Research has shown that despite equal qualifications, women are often not as confident as men in actively seeking promotions or putting their names forward for senior roles. Here too WFH might also be leading to shifting attitudes amongst women. Some women see WFH as a potential leveller in career advancement, helping to bridge the gap between the higher number of men in senior roles than women. Remote working may dilute many of the traditional male-dominated office networks from which some women have felt excluded.

The Introduction of a Hybrid Work Model

However, when lockdown restrictions ease, many organisations expect to transition to a ‘hybrid’ model of both WFH and team workplace-based activities. It will be critical that organisations ensure that this transition does not result in an imbalance, where women choosing to WFH, find themselves missing out on the networking opportunities at the office. This male networking culture is changing fast in Ireland. Indeed, in my industry, telecommunications, we have two of the leading telcos headed up women in Vodafone’s Anne O’Leary and Eir’s Carolan Lennon. Equally in public sector bodies such as ESB there is increasing diversity at senior levels. Within my own company, SIRO, we have a gender balanced leadership team, a board where a third are women and we continue to work to increase diversity across our business. Thankfully, my experiences both from a utility background and now a telecoms background, have been overwhelming positive in terms of career progression and diversity. WFH may bring a true meritocracy to career advancement and promotions across all industries resulting in greater diversity amongst those in senior roles not just between men and women but also those of differing sexual orientation, social backgrounds, or ethnicity etc. The global WFH experiment is only beginning. The years ahead will see it honed further. For all workers it creates many opportunities for people to enjoy greater flexibility, work on their own terms and to shape their working week around their wider lives. For women, it can breakdown many barriers which have traditionally excluded them from the workforce or career advancement. WFH may not always be perfect but it can be transformative, particularly for women, and that is something to celebrate on International Women’s Day. Michelle Mullally is SIRO Chief Financial Officer. SIRO is a joint venture company between ESB and Vodafone. It is delivering a 100% fibre-to-the-building broadband network with speed of 1 Gigabit per second across Ireland.

With thousands of professionals across Ireland now working remotely, Blacknight has entered the Irish residential broadband market to offer Gigabit Fibre Broadband services powered by SIRO. The company will initially target 162,000 premises in 12 locations across the country – Athy, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford Town, Gorey, Courtown, Sligo, Tralee, Limerick, Newbridge, Naas and Letterkenny and this will grow with the inclusion of Cork city and county in the coming weeks. The decision to enter the residential market comes in response to a spike in demand for quality broadband and ahead of legislation which will give employees the right to request remote working. Blacknight had previously been selling fibre broadband services to Enterprise and SME customers such as Golden Globe nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon, but has opted to expand its reach after an influx of queries from people working remotely. The launch is the first phase of a wider rollout, which will see Blacknight expand its residential broadband offer to more areas around Ireland. The strategy will see Blacknight target business and residential customers by offering a Fibre-to-the-Building connection to businesses to give them increased bandwidth to meet the data demands of remote workers, as well as giving professionals access to SIRO’s Gigabit 100% fibre broadband network, the gold standard for internet connectivity, to give them a seamless experience. Blacknight has been able to enter the residential broadband market due to its partnership with SIRO, the wholesale broadband provider building a €450 million 100% Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB) network across Ireland. Since its launch in 2015, SIRO has fundamentally changed the Irish broadband market by driving the adoption of fibre broadband, which is now available to over 1,100,000 premises – approximately half of the premises in Ireland – with a standard fibre speed of 500 Mbps available, a dramatic improvement on the standard 30 Mbps compared to 5 years ago. SIRO has also been able to drive competition in the market by enabling companies like Blacknight to enter the market. Commenting on the launch, Paul Kelly, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Blacknight, said: “Covid-19 has fundamentally changed how we work today and into the future. Remote working is suddenly a reality and we are seeing more professionals move from cities to regional towns, with a sudden spike in demand for high quality broadband as a result. Many of our business customers wanted to enter the residential market because of the quality service we offer, particularly we have the best customer service in the market as we are always there at the end of the phone to talk to customers.” “Partnering with SIRO means that we can offer the same standard of world class broadband that is available in Tokyo to our customers across Ireland. This is just the first phase of a bigger national launch as we look to keep up with demand due to the thousands of people who now call home their office” SIRO Chief Commercial Officer Ronan Whelan added: “Gigabit broadband is fundamentally reshaping how we live and work, and in turn sowing the seeds for a transformation of Ireland’s social and economic landscape. Reduced commute time, better work-life balance, improved productivity, and lower transport emissions are just some of the benefits we will see as professionals escape crowded cities to relocate for cheaper housing and better work life balance. We’re extremely proud to be driving this change by enabling partners like Blacknight help people do life differently.” As a SIRO retail partner, Blacknight is able to offer customers access to the wholesale broadband provider’s €450 million Gigabit broadband network, which is 100% FTTB and has no copper connections at any point to slow the service down. No other connection can compare with 100% fibre, which supports symmetric speeds of 1 Gigabit, 50 times the upload speeds of traditional copper networks. For context, downloading a high definition movie that is 4 gigabytes in size with a standard 10 Mbps connection would usually take an hour. In contrast, it takes 30 seconds with SIRO’s Gigabit broadband.

In October 2019, The Advertising Authority Standard for Ireland (ASAI) published guidelines regulating the use of the term ‘fibre’ in broadband advertising - broadband providers are required to specify whether their product is 100% Fibre, Part Fibre or All Copper. The ruling took effect from 1 December 2019. SIRO fully supports these guidelines and we encourage all consumers to actively seek information on the broadband service you’re buying. Stephen O'Connor, SIRO Director of Corporate Affairs, discusses how the new guidelines will enable greater transparency for the end consumers and benefit the development of FTTH in Ireland. Broadband as we know it is changing. As we consume more and more data, copper based broadband is increasingly unfit for purpose and is a fading technology which is being “switched off” in many countries. Full fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband is now considered globally as the gold standard of connectivity. Consumers look to ‘fibre’ for speed and reliability, yet many in Ireland are still unclear about what they are getting when they order a ‘fibre’ broadband service. In 2018, SIRO commissioned Kantar Millward Brown (KMB) to conduct market research investigating, amongst other things, consumer perception and understanding of the term ‘fibre’ in broadband marketing. This research found that over half of respondents were confused by the different uses of the term ‘fibre’ (e.g. ‘fibre-powered’, ‘fibre broadband’, ‘100% fibre’ etc.) in marketing campaigns (KMB, on behalf of SIRO). One respondent even believed that 100% fibre technology was only available “in the likes of Singapore and Hong Kong”. Telecom Regulator, ComReg, publishes a report each quarter on Irish household broadband subscriptions. There were 1.4m fixed subscriptions at the end of March and just over 900,000 of these are described as “DSL/VDSL (Digital Subscriber Line)” which sounds like advanced technology but are delivered in part over old copper lines. The thing is that many of these customers have purchased a broadband product with ‘fibre’ in its name unaware of the true nature of their connection. This lack of transparency is the issue that the Advertising Standard Authority for Ireland (ASAI)’s guidance note seeks to address. There is undoubtedly a demand for the “real" 100% fibre broadband in Ireland. Since SIRO launched, Irish FTTH subscriptions have grown from 8,000 in January 2017 to 108,000 subscriptions in March 2019, making it by far the fastest growing market segment.

The Importance of Transparency in Advertising

Currently there is little differentiation between part-fibre and full fibre networks in marketing and this has clouded the perception of 100% fibre among consumers. With a fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) connection, the presence of copper even in the last few metres between the street cabinet and the home significantly reduces internet speed. For example, the highest consistent speed with FTTC is less than 100 mbps (megabits per second), whereas a fibre to the home (FTTH) from SIRO delivers a reliable, consistent 1,000 mbps (or 1 Gigabit per second). According to the KMB research, speed remains the determining factor in consumer choice of broadband service but accurate speed information isn’t readily available, instead substituted by phrases like “lightning fast” or “superfast”. Consumers deserve transparency when purchasing any product and broadband advertising is no different. According to our research, 73% of consumers would like a “quality broadband mark” that guarantees the types of service they would receive. The new guidelines published yesterday stipulate that suppliers have to describe the network that the service is delivered across - 100% Fibre, Part Fibre or all Copper. This important change will help to provide clarity to consumers.

Developments in Europe

France was the pioneer in regulating broadband marketing. Since 2016 operators in France are under legal obligation to disclose how much of their network is Fibre if that term is used. For example: “The connection of the home is not all optical fibre but a mixture of Copper & Fibre…” In 2018, the Italian Competition Authority (AGCOM) found that retailers were misusing the term “fibra” (fibre) in their advertisements, and fined the offenders more than €13m. AGCOM ruled that from January 2019 retailers could not advertise “fibra” unless the full line was fibre and must say “Fibre on a copper mixed network” if its only part-fibre. A key policy objective of the European Commission is the establishment of the Digital Single Market (DSM) where EU citizens and businesses could avail of all the economic and societal benefits of the Gigabit society. These benefits can only be realised if there is widespread roll out and adoption of high speed broadband across the EU28. In September 2016, EU connectivity targets were set as follows: All schools, public services and enterprises would have access to 1 GB (1,000 MB) connectivity by 2025 and that all households would have access to a minimum of 100Mbps, upgradable to 1 GB. These targets and the realisation of an inclusive Gigabit society requires adequate and future-proofed infrastructure in place in all member states (European Commission). To this end, the new European Electronic Communications Code (EECC which will be transposed into Irish Law by December 2020) promotes and prioritises both the rollout and take-up of Very High Capacity Broadband networks (VHCN). Adoption of Very High Capacity networks like FTTH is jeopardised when consumers are confused by misuse of the word “fibre” in marketing. This in turn undermines the investment case for alterative operators considering building new high capacity networks – why invest millions of euro in capital in a superior network if all operators are allowed market themselves as “Fibre”?

The FTTH Council Europe are Calling for Change

This is an opinion which is shared by the FTTH Council Europe, which wrote an open letter to European Council ministers on the importance of transparency in broadband advertising. The Council argued that if a consumer believes they have a fibre connection, they are unlikely to change it, however, when consumers “are aware of the differences between 100% fibre and copper connections, they ultimately choose fibre”. This risks undermining both the aims of the new Code (access to and take up of Very High Capacity Networks) and the Digital Single Market. SIRO supports the ASAI’s new guidelines. The data usage needs of consumers are changing and they need transparent, reliable information to choose the network that suits those needs. Additionally, investors need assurance that if they finance and build the new high quality networks that Europe needs then they can differentiate that service when it goes to market. While it has been argued that using the terms “part” and “full” fibre may confuse consumers, the introduction of more accurate advertisements allows consumers to make a fully informed decision when choosing their connection.

The SIRO-Powered Brand Mark

Having access to reliable, high-speed broadband is vital as we continue to work, study, and socialise from home using a multitude of devices. The SIRO 100% fibre network guarantees excellent speeds and a connection that you can rely on when you need it most. We have partnered with the three most popular price comparison sites in Ireland - Bonkers, Choosey and Switcher – to show the SIRO-Powered Badge when our network is available in your home. When you see the SIRO badge, you can be confident that our internationally recognised gold-standard broadband technology comes all the way into your home. We want you to know that you are getting SIRO 100% fibre broadband installed in your home on business. Over 355,000 homes and businesses across regional Ireland now have access to SIRO broadband. So the next time you're looking for the best broadband deal online, make sure to look out for the SIRO-Powered badge to ensure you're getting the best broadband technology available in Ireland. For more information on FTTC vs FTTH, read our ‘Top 5 Fibre Myths Busted’ article. To check if you can avail of SIRO, visit siro.ie/search-your-address