Cavan trial

Cavan town named as one of the first launch towns for ESB and Vodafone’s 100% fibre-to-the-building broadband network.

At a meeting hosted in Cavan County Council by Shane P. O’Reilly, Chair of Cavan County Council; and Ger Finn, Chief Executive of Cavan County Council; and attended by Heather Humphries, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht today, Vodafone and ESB presented details of their plans to deliver SIRO 100% fibre-to-the-building broadband network to Cavan town this autumn.

SIRO’s 100% fibre-to-the-building technology is completely different to any other broadband service in Ireland as it is an entirely new infrastructure 100% based on optical fibre.

The new infrastructure can offer actual broadband speeds of 1000 Mbps, and has potential for even higher speeds as future technologies come online. When the service launches in Cavan, it will put the town on a par for broadband with some of the most advanced cities in the world like Tokyo and Hong Kong.

ESB and Vodafone selected Cavan as the first town to trial the technology last year. 300 homes in Aughnaskerry and Rocklands estates had the SIRO 100% fibre-to-the-building technology installed. Participants in the trial are able to experience the most powerful broadband in Ireland.

The technology will open up a new world of possibilities for Cavan town residents and businesses.

There has been a very positive reaction to the trial to date, with over 80% of participants believing the service is superior to existing services, 50% of participants believing that it will help to make Cavan more attractive as a location for Foreign Direct Investment and over 50% of the trial participants also believe that it will encourage more people in Cavan to set up their own online business.

ESB and Vodafone are investing €450 million in SIRO joint venture, which will use ESB’s existing electricity infrastructure to deliver the fibre-to-the-building network across the country.

Construction on the open access network, which will be available to all authorised broadband operators in the country, will commence this summer, before becoming available to consumers and businesses in the autumn.

This means that other operators can resell the fibre product to their customers, helping to stimulate the development of new services and boosting retail competition in the broadband market for all Irish consumers and businesses.

The 100% fibre-to-the-building network will initially reach 500,000 premises in 50 towns in phase one.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys TD said;

“Cavan’s selection as one of the launch towns for ESB and Vodafone’s broadband joint venture is a very positive development for the town.

This service, when it begins rolling out in autumn, will help to attract investment, boost competitiveness and make it easier for entrepreneurs to expand their businesses online.

By having access to broadband at such high speeds, Cavan will be on a par for broadband with some of the world’s leading cities. This investment by Vodafone and ESB is an important complement to the Government’s National Broadband Plan and will further increase the quality of Ireland’s broadband services.”

Ger Finn, Chief Executive of Cavan County Council, said;

“I am delighted that Cavan will be one of the first towns in the country to receive this leading broadband service. It will be an important boost for Cavan’s SMEs and professionals for whom working from home will now become a real option.

It will also mean that residents in Cavan will be in a position to access the kinds of services that not been available to date. Finn says he is looking forward to seeing the service roll out later this year and I credit ESB and Vodafone for delivering the service to Cavan.”

“We are delighted that Cavan will be one of the first towns in Ireland to experience this revolutionary technology. There has been a fantastic reception from Aughnaskerry and Rocklands residents, who are the first people in Ireland to experience a new type of broadband, which is powered entirely by light.”

Sean Atkinson, SIRO CEO

Sean Atkinson, CEO of ESB and Vodafone’s Joint Venture Company, said;

“Businesses in Cavan town will be on the same playing field as the most cutting edge cities in the world, providing a vital boost for the local economy.

The project brings together two leading international companies – ESB and Vodafone – with the technological expertise and infrastructural experience to make available the kind of future-proofed broadband service which will be a crucial element for Ireland’s future competitiveness.

Cavan and the forty nine other towns involved in the first phase will have access to the most powerful broadband in the country, making it more attractive for companies to consider investing in Ireland and helping to develop a new generation of online entrepreneurs in Cavan and beyond.”