SIRO’S Full Fibre Broadband Network Passes 700,000 Premises

Broadband network operator, SIRO, has today announced that its fibre-to-the-premise broadband network (full fibre) has now passed 700,000 premises and is available in towns and cities in every county in Ireland (Republic).
Today’s milestone of its network reaching 700,000 premises is part of a wider national objective of creating a full fibre Ireland by 2028. However, with more than 85% of all Irish premises now able to access full fibre broadband, SIRO has called for the switching off Ireland’s existing, outdated copper broadband network to be fast-tracked.

The 700,000th premises passed by SIRO’s network is Bray-based print and embroidery specialist, Visual Print. The company was established in 2001 and offers a wide range of printing services, catering to both small and large volume orders. It specialises in direct screen printing, DTF printing and garment embroidery, operating from two warehouse in the Solus Industrial Estate in Bray, employing a staff of 11. Fibre broadband connectivity is a critical enabler of Visual Print’s operations used for transferring large design files, online ordering platforms, maintaining networked printers and Cloud-based print management.

While Visual Print has switched off its copper-based broadband and moved to SIRO’s full fibre broadband, a worrying high number of Irish businesses are yet to make the move. Comreg data indicates that only 12% of business using broadband have a full fibre connection. Fibre to the Premise broadband is accepted as offering faster speeds and a more reliable and resilient connection than copper which can be slower, less dependable and more vulnerable to both storms and cybersecurity issues.

Switching off Ireland’s existing, outdated copper broadband network will ensure the national standard of connectivity enjoys greater resiliency, is future-proofed, and better equipped to support Ireland withstand challenges such as climate change or the impacts of the current global energy crisis.

The process of copper switch off is gathering pace across Europe, with switch off completed or well advanced in France, Spain and Sweden and the U.K.’s commencing next January. However, Ireland does not yet have a national target date for when switch off will start or complete, even though the conditions for beginning the process now exist. This continued reliance on a broadband technology no longer fit for purpose, notwithstanding full fibre alternatives, leave Irish businesses exposed in areas such as the adoption of AI and other new technologies, productivity and profitability.

Commenting on Visual Print’s recent connection to SIRO’s network, Paul Doyle, Managing Director of Visual Print, said:

“Since establishing Visual Print more than twenty-five years ago, we have continued to invest in our equipment, facilities and services to ensure we can meet the needs of our customers as the business has grown.
With SIRO’s fibre broadband, we have seen a significant improvement in how we manage and process orders internally. Faster, more reliable connectivity has streamlined communication between our team, improved file handling and workflow efficiency, and allows us to provide quicker updates and more accurate lead times to our customers. This has had a direct and positive impact on both our productivity and overall customer experience”

Commenting on the milestone, John Keaney, SIRO CEO, said:

“Our network now reaching more than 700,000 homes and businesses is another significant milestone for SIRO, while also actively contributing to the overall national objective of a full fibre Gigabit Ireland by 2028. Reliable and future proofed full fibre broadband connectivity is a key foundation for the continued growth and productivity of Irish business. As Visual Print’s experience demonstrates, switching off copper and switching on to fibre broadband, delivers tangible benefits for Irish business.

Equally, as the global energy crisis continues, more businesses and their employees will look to work and collaborate online to reduce high energy costs, requiring stable, dependable fibre broadband and a conscious move away from outdated copper-based technologies.

Government have the capacity to act by setting an ambitious target date for completing copper switch off, such as 2030, and using levers at its disposal to encourage switch off. With key stakeholders already indicating a willingness to collectively work together, a real opportunity now exists to achieve it,” added Mr. Keaney.

SIRO was founded in 2015, as a joint venture between ESB and SIRO, and since then it has been building its full fibre broadband network across 153 towns and cities.