How SIRO’s Fibre Broadband Supports Business Growth In Ireland's Digital Hubs

In 2016, the SIRO-Vodafone Gigabit Hub Initiative was first launched at Skibbereen’s Ludgate Hub. The Initiative was established to provide a gold standard of connectivity – 100% fibre broadband – to remote and digital working hubs.   Access to fast, reliable broadband is essential to digital hubs, without it, it is difficult to make a compelling case to businesses and entrepreneurs to operate from there.

Today, digital hubs are setting a benchmark for the future of digital connectivity in a world moving beyond outdated copper networks.

Since its inception, the Initiative has linked enterprise hubs across the country with SIRO’s 100% fibre broadband, leading to the creation of over 650 jobs in 24 locations. By offering gigabit-speed broadband, it has empowered hubs to unlock the potential of seamless connectivity, driving digital transformation, fostering innovation, and helping businesses compete on a global scale.

As Ireland prepares for copper switch-off, the businesses within these hubs are capitalising on the advantages of fibre broadband to drive their business growth and commercial success. Under the Initiative, digital working hubs are connected, at no cost, to the SIRO full fibre network; provided with two years of free Gigabit broadband; and receive technical support designed to promote best-in-class connectivity for remote working hubs and their users.

From startups developing cutting-edge software to creatives showcasing their work to global audiences, the Gigabit Hub Initiative has enabled countless success stories, highlighting the untapped potential for  all Irish SMEs to enhance their productivity and profitability when powered by future-proofed fibre broadband connectivity. . Read below some of the success stories illustrating the Initiative’s impact on businesses and communities across Ireland.

Creative Spark, Dundalk  Where Creativity Meets Innovation

Creative Spark welcomes and supports new and established businesses operating within the creative industries, innovation, technology, and sustainable energy sectors. With dedicated training and ‘learning lab’ facilities alongside affordable workspaces, Creative Spark provides an environment where creativity thrives.

According to Sarah Daly, Executive Director at Creative Spark:

“Our mission is to support small creative businesses and help them to grow. So having a place where they can come where they have reliable broadband all of the time is really important. For us for our mission, we’re always creative projects happening. And people get involved in lots of different things together.”

Killian Kavanagh, CEO of Dovetail Consultancy, based in Creative Spark  said:“We handle quite a lot of large data files. There are graphic files, video files, also things like animation, etc. Broadband brings data to every part of my organisation. So it’s absolutely vital for us to function. And recently we just changed our whole business model where all our staff now work remotely. Both nationally and internationally. And I manage it all here from the dock in the creative spark.”

Cavan Digital Hub  Growing a Tech-Forward Community

Since opening in 2019, Cavan Digital Hub has become a central pillar for tech entrepreneurs and digitally focused companies in County Cavan. The hub continues to offer critical support to businesses looking to scale and thrive in the region.

ClubSpot, a B2B sports tech company based at the hub, highlights the transformative power of fibre connectivity.

CEO John Hyland shares:

“By having a fibre here in Cavan Digital Hub and having a reliable, fast and secure connection, we are able to work with our remote offshore employees. So it’s allowed us to build a team of people who have the right skills that are needed to drive the business forward, regardless of where they’re based. We’re able to do workshops for some of our product teams based in Ireland and some of our based across Europe.”

CREW Galway  Empowering Creative Technologies in the West

As the West of Ireland’s first Creative Enterprise & Innovation Hub, CREW is a thriving space for entrepreneurs in the Creative Technologies (CreaTech) sector. The hub fosters collaboration, innovation, and growth, with a strong emphasis on community events.

Aisling Burke, CREW’s Innovation & Market Development Executive, reflects on how fibre broadband drives their activities:

“We have a lot of people working from here with our co-working spaces and our private offices, but our events are another part of that. And we rely fully on our fibre broadband to help us bring everything together. As we’re not for profit; we really are trying to drive the market. So, our events are just one of the ways that we connect with our community. Fiber broadband helps us here in crew to host events and really, bring what we do here in our community to further afield.”

The Mill Drogheda  A Launchpad for Ambitious Entrepreneurs

The Mill, a state-of-the-art 15,000 sq ft enterprise hub in Drogheda, hosts close to 50 companies with over 100 residents. Known for fostering a collaborative and nurturing environment, The Mill has become a launchpad for ambitious entrepreneurs in the region.

Donal Quinn, CEO of Enso, a sustainability-focused start-up based at The Mill in Drogheda, talks about the reliability of SIRO’s fibre broadband:

“It’s so important, so for us as a start-up, constantly having calls, so we’re doing sales calls online, we need to have reliable broadband. I’m also running a platform for sustainability, so for me to be able to manage it and have good access to it, it’s paramount for our development.”

 

Expanding Possibilities for Ireland’s Hubs

Hubs equipped with fibre broadband aren’t just benefiting individual businesses—they’re fuelling community growth. From hosting networking events to enabling hybrid work models, these hubs are fostering innovation and creating opportunities that were once out of reach in regional areas.

The next chapter of the Gigabit Hub Initiative is about to begin, and your hub could be part of it. By joining the initiative, hubs gain access to SIRO’s 100% fibre broadband, helping them unlock new possibilities for their communities. Whether it’s empowering local startups, supporting creative industries, or enabling global collaboration, fibre broadband can transform your operations and position your hub as a cornerstone of regional economic growth.

Applications are now open for the 2025 Gigabit Hub Initiative. Don’t miss this opportunity to bring cutting-edge connectivity to your hub and the businesses you support.

Apply here: https://siro.ie/about-us/gigabit-hubs/