SIRO Takes Top Prize At The European Broadband Awards 2023

SIRO, a leading Irish broadband network provider, has won a major award at this year’s European Broadband Awards 2023.

The Awards which are organised by the European Commission recognise outstanding broadband deployment projects in Europe and highlight successful infrastructures.

The Awards took place on 21 November last at a special prize giving ceremony in Brussels. The Awards celebrate Member State projects that are playing a key role in achieving digital connectivity in Europe.

Multiple broadband projects from across Europe’s 27 Member States entered this year’s Awards, with a smaller number subsequently shortlisted for the competition. These projects spanned a diverse range in terms of geographic location, size and technology, with only five projects selected as winners at the Awards.

The final five projects included SIRO’s full fibre broadband roll-out which was selected as the winner under the category of “Innovative Models of Financing, Business, and Investment.”

The jury noted that SIRO has adopted a successful wholesale-only model which though still not common in Europe, was “innovative” and “pragmatic” in pushing forward the objectives of the EU’s Digital Decade. This includes Gigabit connectivity for all European citizens no later than 2030. SIRO’s operational model means it builds and operates its full fibre broadband network and then wholesales this network to a range of broadband retailers such as Virgin Media, Vodafone and Sky, amongst others, who then resell broadband services to end user homes and businesses.

Established in 2015 as a joint venture between electricity operator, ESB, and global telecoms group Vodafone, SIRO is rolling out a full fibre broadband across Ireland. The company’s network is now available in over 540,000 premises in all Irish cities and 135 towns. SIRO is on track to provide access to its network to over 700,000 premises by 2026.

SIRO CFO Michelle Mullally, accepting the European Broadband Award on behalf of SIRO noted:

“SIRO is a unique project in Irish and in European terms. A joint venture between a State electricity company and a global telecoms entity; using an existing electricity network supporting circular economy principles; and, with a distinct funding model which blends Irish and international lenders, largest amongst them the European Investment Bank”.

“SIRO’s objective has always been to bridge digital divides across Ireland – regional and urban – and provide communities with access to future proofed and reliable broadband, on a par with the most advanced economies in the world.

“It’s very special to have SIRO and Ireland recognised by the European Commission and our broadband peers across Europe for the work we are doing to achieve that objective,” added. Ms. Mullally.

For more information about SIRO and our services, take a read here.