SIRO Brings Full Fibre Broadband To Roscommon Town With €3 Million Investment

SIRO, the fibre broadband network operator, has today announced the roll out of its broadband network in Roscommon town. The build works commenced in autumn last year. The company has confirmed that significant progress has already made in its delivery of the new network, with almost 70% of the project now complete. The company is investing €3 million in bringing Ireland’s most advanced broadband network to the town.  

When is SIRO coming to Roscommon?

SIRO is rolling out its high speed, reliable fibre broadband network to 2,350 homes and businesses in the town overall.  Build works for a majority of the premises targeted, (1,600 premises), are already completed and the new broadband service is now available to order. The remaining 750 premises in the town are expected to be completed during Spring 2023. 

Where is SIRO rolling out to in Roscommon Town?

Areas within Roscommon set to benefit from the roll out include Main Street, Riverdale, Lanesborough Street, Saint Ciaran’s Park, Pine View, Castle Street, Sunny Side House, Cherry Drive, Castle Apartments, Knights Court, Celtic Avenue, Cloonbrackna, Brookvale Avenue, and Lús Leana.  Homes and businesses can now order SIRO’s fibre broadband from its network of retailers, including Vodafone, Sky, Airwire, Pure Telecom, Digiweb, Fastcom and Viatel.  SIRO’s full fibre network is available to both homes and businesses within Roscommon town, with speeds of up to 2 gigabit per second available for homes, and up to 10 gigabits for enterprise connections. 

What is SIRO broadband? 

SIRO is a joint venture company between ESB and Vodafone, founded in 2015, focused on delivering full fibre broadband to Ireland’s towns and cities. SIRO’s fibre broadband network is built on the ESB electricity infrastructure, trusted for its reliability and resilience. Overall, the company is investing more than €1 billion in delivering high speed, future proofed broadband across Ireland. 

How Broadband Supports A Community

Commenting on the announcement, SIRO Chief Executive Officer, John Keaney, said:  

“SIRO has one of the most advanced fibre broadband networks in Europe, so we are really pleased to be bringing this network to Roscommon town.  “Individuals and businesses are all too aware of the value of a reliable and resilient broadband connection. It allows them to stay connected at home or when running their businesses, removing what can be a major pain point in daily life if their existing broadband is poor.  “Fibre broadband can have a transformative effect on regional towns. By providing a scalable, future-proofed and sustainable fibre network, it re-enforces Roscommon town’s attractiveness as a place to live, work and do business,” added Mr. Keaney.    

Shane Tiernan Chief Executive of Roscommon County Council stated:  

 “This multi-million-euro investment and delivery of full fibre broadband by SIRO in Roscommon town is to be congratulated and welcomed. High speed reliable digital connectivity is an essential requirement to allow Roscommon town to flourish commercially, economically and socially.    “The availability of SIRO’s full fibre broadband infrastructure greatly supports Roscommon County Council’s ambition for the development of an innovative collaborative digital society and economy in Roscommon over the coming years. This advancement by SIRO will undoubtedly have a very positive impact in supporting our constant drive for Roscommon to be a great place to live, work, invest in and visit”, added Mr. Tiernan.  

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Barry has spent over thirty-five years working in ICT. He started as a Trainee Programmer in the Northern Ireland Civil Service and progressed through various roles to eventually become the Director of ICT Shared Services and Strategy for the NI Government. Barry has been CIO for the Irish Government since April 2016 with the primary task of taking forward the Public Service ICT and eGovernment Strategies. These set out ambitions for developing the use of shared services, digital services and data to better serve the people of Ireland and ensure that Ireland is well-placed to benefit from European initiatives such as the Digital Single Market.

Tell us about your role?

The Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) leads the digital agenda across Government, working in collaboration with organisations across the Civil and Public Service. OGCIO’s most recent Strategy, Connecting Government 2030: A Digital and ICT Strategy for Ireland’s Public Service, sets out the Government’s Digital Vision for the next several years, covering areas such as digital ambition, talent development, and inclusion. OGCIO is also involved in the delivery of major Government technical projects such as the Contact Tracing App and Digital COVID certificate, and a range of shared initiatives and systems. OGCIO participates in a range of internal, national and international working groups, steering and programme boards; has significant engagement with multilateral institutions including the OECD, UN and in particular the EU; and also plays a leadership role on innovation across the Public Service including through the development and application of a range of ICT policies.  

Outline the role digital technologies play delivering public service today.

As the Government Chief Information Officer, I am the most senior advisor to the Government on all matters digital with specific reporting responsibilities to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and the Junior Minister for eGovernment and Procurement. I played a prominent role in the development of the National Digital Strategy, Harnessing Digital – The Digital Ireland Framework, which was published in February and sets out a high-level pathway to support Ireland’s ambition to be a digital leader at the heart of European and global digital developments. I also represent Ireland at many high-level meetings at EU and OECD level seeking to shape the digital agendas of these organisations; and I am involved in the leadership of many programmes with a substantial digital or ICT element, for example Gov.ie, MyGovID, Open Data, the Data Sharing & Governance Act, the Contact Tracing App, and the Vaccination roll-out.  

What are the key benefits that digital technologies can bring to society and business?

At public service level, we believe that digital can benefit all of society. We can facilitate those who are comfortable with digital technology to renew their driving licence, or make a tax enquiry, for example, with the same ease as booking an airline ticket or making a banking transaction. However, we also believe that if we achieve our goal of 90% of our most used services being consumed online then this will free up resources to better serve those who are unable to use the digital offerings.  

“At community level we see the benefit of having more community-driven digital initiatives from group learning to accessing the technology itself.”

  We believe that the ability to do anything from the home shouldn’t detract from the importance of socialising and maintaining the value of communities in our lives. This is why many government digital initiatives, including broadband roll-out and digital hubs, are community-oriented.”  

As connectivity improves across Ireland, what do you see as the big opportunities for Irish businesses from accelerated digital adaptation?

I think we all accept that going online can and does bring advantages to businesses, e.g., lower operating costs, 24/7 presence and greater out-reach. However, CSO research tells us that, while more than four in five Irish-based businesses have a website, only 40 per cent actually sell online. This means that there is an opportunity not just for businesses but also for national reputation and GDP growth. This is why the Harnessing Digital strategy sets challenging business targets for 2030 such as 75% enterprise take-up of Cloud, Big Data and AI; and 90% of SMEs at basic digital intensity. It also makes financial and advisory support commitments to help this to be achieved.  

“It is very clear that the pandemic has opened up new commercial opportunities and these should be exploited. Ireland’s acceleration towards full and fast connectivity will provide a strong foundation to build upon.”

 

For businesses to maximise benefits from digital technologies, what key advice would you give?

I could write pages on this but will stick to three things. First, it all has to start with the customer. As (even) Steve Jobs famously said “'You've got to start with the customer experience and work backwards to the technology.” In Government, we have learned a lot from consulting our customers and from our research work with Trinity Business School. Again, the pandemic experience proved that the public will gladly use Digital Government services that are simple, intuitive and customer focused. Then, the service has to be built with privacy and security at the centre. Thankfully in Ireland we have several excellent security companies that can help with this. Alternatively, examine cloud-based approaches to benefit from the security and support skills of the experts who are doing this stuff every day. Finally, ensure you have built in a feedback loop to help you understand how the service is really working and to rectify teething problems.   Looking to take your business to the next level with a reliable broadband connection? Search Your Eircode today.

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SIRO, the broadband network operator, has today announced that it is investing €6 million in the roll out of a new full fibre network to Carrickmacross and Monaghan town. As part of the roll out, 5,300 premises in these towns can connect to SIRO’s gigabit, 100% fibre network. SIRO is targeting 2,800 premises in Monaghan and 2,500 premises in Carrickmacross, respectively. The investment was officially announced by the company as part of a presentation made to Carrickmacross town councillors by senior SIRO management this week. Areas across Carrickmacross that will receive SIRO’s fibre broadband include (but not limited to): Alderwood, Cluain Alainn, Coill An Rí, Farney Street, The Elms, Castleblayney Road, Saint McCartan’s Villa. Some areas across Monaghan Town that will receive SIRO’s fibre broadband include (but not limited to): Drumbear Lawn, Dublin Street, Tully Estate, Belgium Park, Doctor McKenna Park, Montfort, and Manor Wood. Works on the ground commenced in Carrickmacross in September, with Monaghan town set to begin in December, with works continuing into early next year. It’s expected that homes and businesses will be able to connect to the network in quarter one and quarter two 2023 in Carrickmacross and Monaghan Town, respectively. The roll out is part of SIRO’s ongoing national network expansion, where the broadband network operator is working to roll out its network to 770,000 premises across 154 towns. SIRO is a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, established in 2015. To date, the wholesale operator has already connected over 450,000 premises in 75 towns. Commenting on the announcement, SIRO Chief Technology Officer Suzanne Tracy, noted: “SIRO’s announcement that we are bringing our 100% fibre broadband to Carrickmacross and Monaghan Town continues our commitment to ensure equality of access to high speed, reliable and future proofed broadband to towns across Ireland. “Connectivity is now vital to how we work, live or learn online. SIRO’s fibre broadband is future-proofed to deliver speeds of up to 10 Gigabits, ensuring that regional towns such as Carrickmacross or Monaghan are not left behind but can fully participate in our digital society and economy. “At its core, SIRO’s fibre broadband gives power back to people and communities, allowing them to choose how they live and work today, and over the longer term,” added Ms. Tracy. Welcoming today’s announcement, Monaghan County Council Director of Services for Carrickmacross - Castleblayney Municipal District of Carmel O’Hare, said: “We are delighted to welcome SIRO to Co. Monaghan and to see SIRO commence their broadband rollout in the Carrickmacross and Monaghan town areas. The rollout of the SIRO network throughout Carrickmacross marks a milestone for the urban area and will offer significant broadband improvements for all of the many business interests in the town and for residential customers.”

SIRO will be available to order for residents and businesses of Monaghan in early 2023, register your interest today.

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Broadband network operator SIRO has announced today it is rolling out its full fibre network to over 70,000 homes and businesses across South Dublin and the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown local authority area. SIRO is investing €50 million in the project and the roll-out will take approximately two years, with works expected to be completed by the end of 2024. SIRO’s contracting partners on the project include Gaeltec, Richard Nolan Civil Engineering and TLI, with approximately 250 people engaged in the construction works over the course of the network build. The announcement follows a briefing on the project yesterday to Dún Laoghaire Rathdown elected representatives and officials at the local authority’s Chamber offices. Senior SIRO representatives attended the meeting and set out the company’s plans for rolling out its network to areas within the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown local authority area. Key areas targeted by SIRO include Dún Laoghaire town, Foxrock, Blackrock, Stillorgan, Cabinteely, Deansgrange, Carrickmines, Dundrum, Ballinteer, Sandyford, Killiney and Shankill. In total, SIRO is targeting to reach over 70,000 premises – residential and commercial – within its network footprint.   SIRO, a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, is currently rolling out a 100% fibre broadband network across 154 towns and cities across Ireland, with services currently available to 450,000+ premises and reaching 770,000 premises over the next four years. The company rolls out its 100% fibre broadband network by using the existing ESB electricity network and following it into the heart of each home and business. The broadband network operator already has a significant network presence in North Dublin, where its rollout is ongoing and where the SIRO network has already passed over 60,000 homes and businesses. The company places a strong emphasis on bringing innovation to the Irish broadband market. Over the last 12 months, it has launched 2 Gigabits speeds for residential users and up to 10 Gigabits for enterprise. Commenting on the announcement, SIRO CEO John Keaney noted: “Poor broadband is not exclusively a regional issue. Anyone who lives in or runs a business in our capital and its suburbs can also face connectivity issues. “SIRO is working to address this issue, giving residents and businesses of South County Dublin access to world class broadband. Today’s announcement sets out our intent for areas in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown over the next two years. “In addition to our roll-out in North Dublin and Fingal, which is well advanced and ongoing, we are now committing to bring world-class fibre connectivity to tens of thousands of more premises across South Dublin,” added Mr. Keaney. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Local Authority CEO Frank Curran welcoming SIRO’s investment stated: “In an increasingly digitised world SIRO’s planned fibre broadband rollout is a most welcome development in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown. “This type of high-speed connectivity infrastructure directly affects thousands of homes and businesses in a very positive way. We look forward to working with SIRO to ensure this project is brought to fruition for everyone’s benefit.” [lookup_modal type="eircode" button-text="Search Your Eircode Today" position="mid" title="Search Your Eircode Today"]

On 1 June last, SIRO launched its’ 10 Gigabit (10G) enabled broadband network in Galway city. The first city in Ireland to have this high speed, large bandwidth network at its disposal. At the end August, SIRO’s entire fibre broadband network was upgraded to 10 Gigabits. This €10 million, 15-month upgrade project includes our full existing SIRO network, i.e., 450,000+ premises we have already passed and the further 320,000 we are in the process of passing right now.

10G: what is it?

From the middle of last year, SIRO began the process of upgrading its’ existing network to a 10 Gigabit network using XGS-PON technology. G-PON stands for Gigabit PON or 1 Gigabit PON. The “X” in XGS represents the number 10, and the letter “S” stands for symmetrical, XGS-PON = 10 Gigabit Symmetrical PON. The upgrade allows SIRO to turbo-charge our existing network from a one Gigabit network to a network providing up to 10G connections which are symmetrical (same upload and download speeds), much more reliable, with lower latencies and better security.

The point of a 10G network is the flexibility to scale up seamlessly as your data demands grow. One Gigabit to two, four, six Gigabits and so on

What can it do?

One of the most prominent and headline grabbing aspects of 10 G is speed, specifically speed of data transfer. 10 Gbps lets you transfer at a rate of 1.25 GB/s when you copy a file to another computer across the SIRO network. This equates to sending a 20 GB file in under 20 seconds.   At SIRO we know, that at least for the short-to-medium term, end users of this much larger bandwidth will be enterprise/business users vs. residential consumers. It makes sense. It is businesses, whether small or large, who typically move large data sets. However, the number of businesses who falls into this category is not as niche as it once might have been. As ever more intensive applications run on our servers or are stored in the Cloud, the amount of data created, stored and transferred increases each day. Add in the growing automation of once manual tasks and the need for high-speed internet as the key enabler of these processes becomes clear.

10G will become the technology platform for this phase of digital adaptation across the world. It will ensure that technology in our lives becomes even more embedded and integrated

Speed and bandwidth are also important for business where large numbers of colleagues and clients need to connect at once. Both now have an expectation of being able to access services when they require them and that this access is dependable and consistent. Business, for reasons of productivity, reputation and of course the bottom line, cannot afford to have any bottlenecks in their connectivity which can hold their business back. Businesses with many employees and multiple clients all logging on at the same time are obvious candidates for much higher speeds. Yet over recent years as our use of digital technologies has grown, it has spawned new types of business which are equally heavy data users. Businesses in the creative sector is one example. While they may not be big in terms of employee head count, they are big users of data. Think content creators in advertising, digital or marketing agencies, animators, film or videographers, game design – all transferring large files each day. Though smaller companies, the creative sector in its’ totality is a significant sector, employing up to 5% of the Irish workforce or about 100,000.

Do I need 10G?

In truth, it depends. If you are an individual, doing video editing, streaming, audio production, activities which involve a large amount of data and if your workflow currently lags due to slow speeds, then likely you do need to move up the Gigabit ranks from the standard one Gigabit to higher speeds. The point of a 10G network is the flexibility to scale up seamlessly as your data demands grow. One Gigabit to two, four, six Gigabits and so on. The use case is much clearer if you are a business or enterprise. If your business has large file sizes to deal; you use HD streaming or your company is growing in terms of capability or headcount, then there is a real risk of congestion on your network necessitating larger bandwidth.

10G will become the technology platform for this phase of digital adaptation across the world.

An important additional benefit of SIRO’s 10G network is affordability. Previously access to high-speed point-to-point (P2P) services was largely just available to very big organisations with substantial IT budgets. With this upgrade SIRO have changed that market limiting dynamic.

A 10 Gigabit Future?

Just as when once the need for one Gigabit broadband met with questions on the use case of that level of bandwidth; some might today ask a similar question of 10 Gigabit broadband. Those of us who have seen the relentless march of data demands, know better than to ask that question anymore. Instead, the more pertinent question for business and society to consider are what processes and technologies (many, not yet invented) can this level of bandwidth unlock for the benefit of all? 10G will become the technology platform for this phase of digital adaptation across the world. It will ensure that technology in our lives becomes even more embedded and integrated. Healthcare professionals will monitor and diagnose their patients remotely in real-time, our students will collaborate and learn not just from their classmates but with other children across the world and virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) will change many aspects of how we live from retail, to home entertainment, to the world of work. In SIRO we have always sought to drive innovation in the Irish broadband market to make the probable, possible. Today’s focus may be on 10 Gigabits, but the direction of journey to 25 Gigabits is already coming into view. To find out if your business can avail of SIRO for Business, please visit www.siro.ie/search-your-eircode

SIRO, the broadband network operator, has today announced that its fibre broadband network is now a 10 Gigabit network. SIRO’s announcement comes following the completion of a €10 million investment upgrade programme, implemented to ensure the company’s network can deliver the fastest speeds available. SIRO’s decision to make 10 Gigabit speeds available is driven by the ever-increasing data demands of enterprise year-on-year and the necessity to have a future proofed network primed to respond to the needs of businesses. SIRO, a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, is currently rolling out a 100% fibre broadband network across 154 towns and cities across Ireland, with services currently available to 450,000+ premises and reaching 770,000 premises over the next four years. In October 2021, SIRO launched 2 Gigabit speeds for the residential market. Today’s announcement of 10 Gigabits is initially focused on the enterprise market. The latter have a need to progressively scale up their bandwidth from 2 Gigabits up to 10 Gigabits in the short to medium term. The upgrade to 10 Gigabits reflects SIRO’s ambition to continuously bring innovation to the Irish broadband market. SIRO is Ireland’s sole open-access wholesale-only broadband operator and was first to introduce 1 Gigabit broadband to Irish homes. It is now stretching its offering further with speeds of 2 Gigabits for residential and up to 10 Gigabits for enterprise customers, respectively. The benefits of multi-gigabit speeds include: Ensure fastest speeds: Symmetrical speeds up to ten times faster than the best standard currently available of up to 1 Gigabit. A 10 Gigabit connection can transfer 1 Gigabit of data in 0.8 seconds or upload a file of 20 Gigabits in under 20 seconds. Provide scalable connectivity: A future-proofed connection to support the increasing number of connected devices used by businesses. Enhance cyber protection: Enhanced data and network protection by facilitating network management systems which reduce cybersecurity risks. Support new technologies: The bandwidth to integrate emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, virtual reality, 3D technology or voice recognition tools. Commenting on the announcement, SIRO CEO, John Keaney, said: “For SIRO, completing our transition to a 10 Gigabit-enabled network is about ensuring we continue to lead the market in terms of delivering on Ireland’s future broadband needs for the decades ahead. “All aspects of business processes and operations are increasingly digitised. Reliable and future proofed connectivity is the foundation upon which they all rest. “This upgrade gives enterprises the opportunity to plan and scale up their bandwidth requirements as their data demands and business requirements grow. Rather than wait for the broadband infrastructure to catch up, businesses can now have the certainty that they can access higher speeds and capacity as and when they need it,” added Mr. Keaney. To find out if you can avail of 10 Gigabit today, check your Eircode today! [lookup_modal type="eircode" button-text="Search Your Eircode Today" position="mid" title="Search Your Eircode Today"]

Broadband operator, SIRO, has today announced that it is bringing its 100% fibre broadband network to Ballinasloe and Loughrea. The company, a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, is rolling out a full fibre broadband network to towns across Ireland, with Loughrea and Ballinasloe next in line to benefit. SIRO’s broadband network will bring world class connectivity to almost 5,000 homes and businesses in both towns, with an investment of €5 million overall. The work will be carried out by SIRO contractors, TLI, with civil construction works commencing in Loughrea in the next week, with Ballinasloe’s works to commence in Spring of next year. The rollout in Ballinasloe and Loughrea is part of SIRO’s ongoing roll out in Galway city and county. The company has already made its full fibre broadband network available to over 33,000 homes and businesses in Galway city. The investment is part of the company’s ongoing fibre rollout across Ireland, targeting 154 cities and towns and 770,000 premises. Areas within Ballinasloe that will be connected include (but are not limited to): Townparks, Portnick, Poolboy, Dunlo, Kilgarve, Church Street, Bóthar Sáirséal, Meadowbrook, Beechlawn, Esker Hills. Areas within Loughrea that will be connected include (but are not limited to): Portumna Road, Danesfort, Barrack Street, Abbey Street, Athenry Road, Ashlawn, Galway Road, Gort Road, Main Street, Cosmona, and The Hill. SIRO’s network in Ballinasloe, Loughrea and Galway City is a 10 Gigabit-enabled network, which means that enterprise customers will be able to access higher speeds and bandwidths as their data demands grow over the years ahead, ensuring that current and future needs are met. Residential users can avail of 1 Gigabit broadband, with the option of 2 Gigabits where homes have larger bandwidth demands. SIRO is a joint venture company between ESB and Vodafone, founded in 2015. SIRO’s state-of-the-art fibre broadband network is built on the ESB electricity infrastructure, trusted for its reliability and resilience. Overall, the company is investing more than €1 billion in delivering high speed, future proofed broadband across Ireland. Commenting on the launch in Ballinasloe and Loughrea, SIRO CEO John Keaney said: “Since we first started rolling out our network in Galway city, over four years ago demand has been strong for SIRO’s fibre broadband service. Our expansion now to Loughrea and Ballinasloe reflects the broader demand across Galway – city and county. “Reliable, resilient and future proofed broadband is a game changer for regional towns and having access to SIRO’s network will create huge investment and job creation opportunities for towns such as Ballinasloe and Loughrea. “SIRO is pleased to support this objective and to play a part in giving individuals and businesses a choice about where and how they live and work. We have had positive engagement with local stakeholders on the ground in both towns and we are now excited about getting on with our roll-out and connection process in the months ahead,” added Mr. Keaney. Welcoming today’s announcement from SIRO, Galway County Council Chief Executive Jim Cullen stated: “The building of these fibre networks will be a significant investment in these two towns. The delivery of such infrastructure is a key economic enabler for existing business, with the potential to help increase their online presence and to trade online nationally and internationally. “It will have positive impacts for both towns around growth, economic spin off effects & makes these towns more attractive for future investment. “It will open up opportunities for citizens to work locally, with the delivery of high-speed connectivity, as remote working becomes more realistic for larger numbers of people, which should lead to a lowering of the towns carbon footprints and the residents of these towns will have more choice on broadband service provision in the future,” added Mr Cullen SIRO as an open access wholesaler, partners with twenty broadband retailers across Ireland, to ensure that customers and businesses enjoy greater choice and competition. Retailers offering SIRO residential, or enterprise broadband products include: Digiweb, Blacknight, Airwire, Sky, Vodafone, Virgin, Fastcom, Telcom, Viatel and Pure Telecom. To register your interest, and to find out when SIRO will become available to your home or business, click here [mailchimp_modal button-text="Register Your Interest" title="Sign Up Form" position="mid"]

SIRO, the broadband network operator, have today launched its new 100% fibre broadband network in Maynooth. SIRO’s broadband network will bring world class connectivity to 2,500 homes and businesses in Maynooth, with an investment of €4 million in the town. Areas within the town set to benefit include Main Street, O'Neill Park, Parson Street, Leinster Street, Pound Lane, Dublin Road, Doctor's Lane, Bere Street, Carton Grove, Carton Square, Pebble Hill Park, Limetree Hall, and Back Lane. With 600 homes and businesses already live and available to order, SIRO’s roll-out in Maynooth to a remaining 2,000 premises is ongoing and expected to complete by end September. SIRO’s investment in a new broadband network for Maynooth is part of the company’s ongoing fibre rollout across Ireland targeting 154 cities and towns and 770,000 premises. SIRO’s full fibre network in Maynooth is available to both residential and business customers. Maynooth Business Campus (MBC), which has over 100 national and multinational companies operating within it, is just one of the commercial locations where SIRO is already available. SIRO’s network in Maynooth is 10 Gigabit-enabled which means that enterprise customers can now avail of broadband speeds which will meet their current and further bandwidth requirements. Maynooth is the ninth Kildare town to go live on the SIRO network, with 30,000 premises in Naas, Athy, Johnstown, Kildare, Clane, Newbridge, Sallins and Prosperous are already able to connect to its future-proofed, gigabit broadband. SIRO is a joint venture company between ESB and Vodafone, founded in 2015. SIRO’s state-of-the-art fibre broadband network is built on the ESB electricity infrastructure, trusted for its reliability and resilience. Overall, the company is investing more than €1 billion in delivering high speed, future proofed broadband across Ireland. Commenting on SIRO’s launch in Maynooth, SIRO CEO John Keaney said: “Maynooth has been hugely successfully in attracting high quality investment and jobs into the town in recent decades. Added to that its status as home to one of Ireland’s leading universities, makes having high quality, reliable and future proofed connectivity critical. “SIRO is delighted to announce the arrival of its network in Maynooth. High quality connectivity is now the foundation of how we live, work, study and engage with others. Our network provides a platform for individuals, families, communities, and businesses to do all these activities. “We are focused on delivering the highest quality of broadband services, a reliable network, and the capacity to meet data demands today, without fear of lag or downtime, but also, future demand with our 10 Gigabit capacity. Our network rollouts in Kildare towns have been hugely positive to date so we are excited to now expand to Maynooth,” added Mr. Keaney SIRO as an open access wholesaler, partners with 20 broadband retailers across Ireland, to ensure that customers and businesses enjoy greater choice and competition. Retailers offering SIRO residential or enterprise broadband products include: Digiweb, Sky, Vodafone, Fastcom, Telcom, Viatel and Pure Telecom. [lookup_modal type="eircode" button-text="Search Your Eircode Today" position="mid" title="Search Your Eircode Today"]

With the rush to the beach or getting time away after two years of COVID-induced lockdowns, you might have missed the news of Amazon’s most recent acquisition this summer. On 21 July, Amazon announced that it had acquired One Medical, in a cash deal valued at $3.9 billion. One Medical is a membership-based primary care practice which provides healthcare to patients through a combination of in-person, digital and virtual care services in locations across the U.S. The company is using technology to drive innovation in primary healthcare such as by allowing online booking for GP appointments or text messaging with doctors, in addition to 24/7 on demand tele-healthcare. It has also built its own medical records technology from the ground up to help doctors better manage patient relationships. One Medical was one of the earliest companies in the U.S. to recognise the enormous potential of technology to improve both access to and quality of healthcare. Amazon’s SVP of Health Services, Neil Lindsay, summed up the opportunity when he noted:

“…. healthcare is high on the list of experiences that need reinvention.”

“Booking an appointment, waiting weeks or even months to be seen, taking time off work, driving to a clinic, finding a parking spot, waiting in the waiting room then the exam room for what is too often a rushed few minutes with a doctor, then making another trip to a pharmacy – we see lots of opportunity to both improve the quality of the experience and give people back valuable time in their days”

While the agreement was met with some discussion around the risk of Big Tech and the privacy of patient health information, it equally met with optimistic commentary on the ability of Amazon to bring much-needed efficiencies and improved customer experience to health care, as it has to retail shopping. The caveat is that the healthcare is different from purchasing new trainers given its nature and the fact that some costs just cannot be squeezed. But its’ certainly true that technology, and the high-quality broadband connectivity upon which it is based, can fundamentally change how healthcare is delivered and how patients experience it. Primary care is just Amazon’s latest move into health care. The company acquired online pharmacy PillPack in 2018 for over $700 million and launched its own online prescription delivery service Amazon Pharmacy in 2020. There are also rumours that Amazon is considering starting a new digital therapy and counselling platform. Whether, or not, Amazon’s foray into healthcare is the commoditisation of health and whether that’s a good or bad thing is beside the point. The truth is that as Neil Lindsay put it “healthcare is high on the list of experiences that need reinvention.” Technology across all aspects of our lives has put power back in the hands of people, broken down unnatural and societal barriers to equality of access in areas as diverse as education, travel or share trading. Yet healthcare, particularly patient experience of accessing care, remains one of the few sectors where the impact of connectivity and digital technologies doesn’t appear to have made as much cut through. While most activities can be booked online such as a haircut or an NCT for a car, why not an appointment with a GP? Equally, in Ireland’s hospital system there is no single digital health record for each patient to provide a catch-all record of a patient’s lifelong medical history. Instead, 85% of all hospital records remain paper-based and hospitals can’t access GP data and vice versa.

85% of all hospital records are still paper based.

Accelerated changed and faster digital uptake in healthcare is achievable. The pandemic showed us what’s possible, albeit in response to an emergency situation. The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination programme was predominantly over a digital platform. The move to e-prescriptions also during the pandemic – stalled for years prior to that - rapidly simplified and enhanced prescription practices overnight. Patients, too, managed to successfully navigate both processes. The digital win’s during COVID in Irish healthcare can continue. With groups like the Irish Digital Health Leadership Group, a collective of health, IT and patient experts, looking to accelerate the timelines for delivery.

In Ireland we have a wealth of health tech companies, many who are world leaders in their field whose expertise can be tapped into to develop local solutions for Irish patients.

Examples include, SilverCloudHealth, which has delivered online mental health programmes to over a million individuals and 500 organisations globally, including in Ireland. LetsGetChecked is another Irish-grown company making waves in healthcare internationally. The company offers more than 30 home diagnostic tests in the categories of sexual health, women’s health, men’s health, wellness and coronavirus, with more than seven million tests delivered worldwide to date. In addition, in the U.S. its’ users can order medication online. Health Beacon, a patient medication management system, is just another further example of an Irish company growing rapidly overseas. Added to these is the strong presence of global med-tech and pharma FDA companies dotted across Ireland, all whose expertise could be brought to bear. The Government has set a target of all homes and businesses having access to a Gigabit network by 2028. Through the work of commercial broadband network operators such as  SIRO or National Broadband Ireland people in every corner of Ireland will have reliable and secure connectivity. At a time in Ireland when wait times for accessing health services can be long, reinventing healthcare delivery and expanding investment in digital health services could offer a solution to ensure faster access to care for many. [lookup_modal type="eircode" button-text="Search Your Eircode Today" position="mid" title="Search Your Eircode Today"]

SIRO’s Employee Experience Manager and Executive Assistant to the CEO (Chief Executive Officer), Gillian Quigley, explores digital wellbeing apps, mental health, and the importance of staying connected. They say these days that there’s an app for everything. An app to order food or clothes, to stream your favourite shows, and even to adjust the temperature within your home. But what about an app to improve your mental health?  General wellbeing and morale over the course of the past three years has naturally dipped because of strict restrictions, lockdowns and varying levels of anxiety within society. People yearned for diverse ways to connect when the effects of loneliness in Ireland was higher than ever before. 51% of people admitted that the pandemic influenced their mental health, with loneliness in Ireland doubling in 2021, as a result. It’s completely understandable that people would begin to feel more anxious, depressed, isolated or even paranoid when uncertainty was the norm for so long.  It’s not all bad, though. On the flip side, mental health awareness is at an all-time high. This is thanks in no small part to digital health and wellbeing apps gaining in popularity, due to increased awareness campaigns by health services and influencers. In a 2021 survey by St. Patricks Mental Health Hospital, 72% of those surveyed, believe Irish society is more open to talking about mental health issues since the onset of the pandemic. Not only that, but health services have also transitioned their practices to digital platforms to improve accessibility for patients. As an Employee Experience Manager at SIRO, understanding what platforms can help your employee’s morale and general wellbeing is a key aspect of the job. For employees in Ireland, there are many corporate and individual wellbeing platforms, promising a variety of outcomes, with most offering users free programmes through their apps that cover a wide range of health aspects. Meditation, emotional intelligence and wellbeing advice, yoga, and even financial support to name but a few. Being able to manage your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing in your own time, is one of the main reasons health apps have become so popular, especially as we shift into a hybrid, digital way of living. As well as that, it can make what is usually a daunting task easier to manage, as you dip in and out of these services, at times that work for you. SIRO, like other companies provide apps to augment our support resources. However, you may choose to research, evaluate and use your own preferred option. There are many popular and affordable apps that don’t require intervention from your workplace. Some of these apps include , Calm, and Mood Tracker. These platforms allow you to track their moods to identify potentially harmful patterns, allowing them to gain general perspective, combat anxieties and practice mindfulness through meditation or mindfulness. Personally, I use physical wellbeing apps and YouTube channels to help with my mental and physical health – I find exercise a terrific way to alleviate stress and find time for my thoughts. Fitness apps can empower people to take their health into their own hands, and the same can be applied to mental and spiritual health.   It’s important to emphasise that digital wellbeing and health apps are not just a temporary fix for use during the pandemic, but something that will be become a staple for the future. In acknowledging that digital wellbeing apps are a natural progression for health services, with more services coming online each day, it’s important to ensure that your home or business is prepared for this evolution. SIRO’s fibre to the premises broadband is a ‘one size fits all’ type of connectivity that’s resilient enough to handle any video calls, heavy data uploads without a break in signal, when using cloud-based health platforms. The pandemic has shown us that connectivity matters now, more than ever before. Staying connected with your friends, family and your own self is vital to having a positive, healthy state of mind. If you or someone you know are experiencing mental health issues, please contact: www.samaritans.org or 116 123.