SIRO connects 10,000 additional homes and businesses across Galway city to fibre broadband over last 6 months.

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.

Our CEO John Keaney delivered a keynote speech at the 2021 Rebooting Ireland virtual event on how 100% fibre can fast track recovery and growth post Covid-19. John discussed how Covid-19 has supercharged inevitable change in consumer behaviour, business operations and new ways of working, which accelerate the need for high-speed fibre connectivity. As we move into our 'new normal', 100% fibre connection is a critical element in ensuring the growth and recovery of Irish businesses and the Irish economy

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

Pure Telecom, Ireland’s high-speed broadband and telecoms provider, today announces that it has signed a deal with BT Ireland that will provide Pure Telecom with access to SIRO’s nationwide high-speed fibre broadband network, consisting of 338,000 premises across Ireland to date. As SIRO continues to connect urban and regional premises with Gigabit broadband, the BT deal – worth up to €10M – will allow Pure Telecom to expand its reach countrywide. BT won the highly competitive tender for its established network capability and excellent track record in delivering a leading edge service to Ireland’s wholesale broadband providers. Under the deal, BT will provide Pure Telecom with a comprehensive managed service, that helps bring its ultrafast broadband “Fibre to the Premises” (FTTP) product offering to the market. The service will be made available across Ireland at every location where there are FTTP services are available. The infrastructure agreement will help Pure Telecom to solidify its position as a major competitor in the Irish broadband market by driving down costs for consumers. The company has experienced a 30% increase in demand for its broadband services since the outbreak of COVID-19, which has been the catalyst for a rapid and widespread shift to remote working. Through its strategic partnerships, Pure Telecom can access existing and new broadband infrastructure across Ireland, enabling it to bring high-speed broadband to rural and urban premises as soon as it becomes available. With more people working from home, a reliable, uninterrupted high-speed broadband service is increasingly important. The SIRO Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) network covers more than 338,000 homes and businesses in 45 towns around Ireland. Because FTTH technology has no copper connection (which can cause congestion and slow speeds) it delivers a 1 Gigabit (1,000 Megabit) internet connection which can take care of anyone’s remote working and personal needs. As a result, there is no impact on the quality of service if a household has multiple devices in use at one time with data intensive services like video conferencing or streaming content. Paul Connell, CEO, Pure Telecom, said: “At Pure Telecom, we are consistently striving to get more people and businesses access to high-speed broadband. Too many homes and businesses in Ireland still don’t have fast internet access and it is detrimental to our society and economy – particularly at a time when everyone has been advised to work from home where possible. We have observed a significant increase in demand for our services since COVID-19 restrictions were introduced and we expect these to have a permanent impact on how people work and where. It has therefore never been more important for people to have the high-speed connectivity they need to work productively from their homes. “By partnering with BT, we will be one of the first providers to offer high-speed broadband to Irish towns and villages who previously didn’t have access. SIRO has been very proactive in its rollout of 100% fibre-optic technology and we look forward to being able to offer it to even more customers.” Peter Evans, Director of Wholesale, BT Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Pure Telecom and SIRO to bring yet more choice and connectivity to broadband users across Ireland, particularly in more regional towns. In the wake of COVID-19, as people have come to depend more on technology to communicate than ever before, it’s important that consumers and businesses have a wide range of services to choose from that best suit their needs.” Ronan Whelan, Chief Commercial Officer, SIRO, said: “COVID-19 has fundamentally changed how we work and live, so the importance of fast, reliable broadband has never been more evident. With 100% fibre-optic FTTH technology, SIRO’s Gigabit broadband is the most powerful in Ireland, helping people do life differently. This latest agreement highlights how SIRO is driving competition in the broadband market and helping to combat the digital divide that currently exists in Ireland. Pure Telecom’s commitment to provide customers with the best connectivity, competitive pricing and best-in-class service through our wholesale network is great news for residential and business customers throughout the country.”

SIRO, the open-access wholesale broadband provider delivering Ireland’s first 100% fibre-optic broadband network, has announced that its Gigabit broadband services are now available to over 15,000 homes and businesses in Galway city and the surrounding area after construction began last year. Services are already live through SIRO’s retail partners in Galway city, Oranmore, Ballybane, Doughiska, Roscam, Knocknacarra, Salthill, Renmore, Rahoon, Oranhill, Shantalla, Mervue, Ballybrit, Murrough and Castlegar. The €20 million construction project is already halfway through its rollout, with its Gigabit broadband services to be made available to another 15,000 premises. Development of the 100% fibre broadband network is being led by TLI Group – SIRO’s construction partner – who are contacting residents and business owners of premises due to be included in the next stage of the rollout.

High-Speed Broadband Available in Galway

SIRO’s Gigabit connectivity enables Galway residents and businesses to avail of Fibre-to-the-Building technology, which is recognised as the gold standard for broadband connectivity internationally. 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. Anyone wishing to avail of SIRO’s services can simply visit SIRO.ie and enter their Eircode to see if their premises is connected, before contacting one of their retail partners in Galway – Sky, Vodafone, Digitweb, Pure Telecom or Airwire –  to sign up. Commenting on the latest milestone, SIRO Director of Corporate Affairs, Stephen O Connor said “SIRO’s 100% fibre broadband provides the speed and reliability for you to do life different. SIRO is 100% fibre all the way into the home, with no copper at any point in the network, offering ultrafast speeds of up to 1 Gigabit per second. There’s no limit to how many devices you can connect without slowing down performance. As a result, anyone connected in Galway will have the same world class broadband experience that is available in Tokyo.” 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 SIRO network now covers 340,000, with services now live or under construction in 21 counties across the country. SIRO is offered on an open-access basis to all telecoms retailers in Ireland.  SIRO has formed partnerships with Vodafone, Sky, Digiweb, Pure Telecom, Carnsore Broadband, Airwire, Kerry Broadband and Rocket Broadband  with more retailers expected to come on board as the company drives competition in the wholesale broadband market. To check if you can avail of SIRO, visit siro.ie/search-your-eircode

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.

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.