Cork town Carrigtwohill is to become the country’s first fully fibre-enabled town, with ESB and Vodafone‘s joint venture Siro set to finish building its network in the town.
Siro chief executive John Keaney said every town in Ireland needed access to the same connectivity, and called on the Government to prioritise switching off the older copper network throughout the country.
Broadband internet over fibre-optic cables is considered the fastest way for most homes and businesses to access the internet at present.
Siro is set to finish its work in Carrigtwohill by the end of the summer, with all homes and businesses in the town getting access to fibre-to-the-home broadband. Located 12km outside Cork city, the town has seen its population treble to more than 5,500 in the past two decades, and could reach 10,000 by 2030 as housing developments that are in the planning stages or already under way are completed.
Siro’s network will reach more than 2,300 premises in the town, while a further 1,000 new homes will also be served by the company’s infrastructure.
“That should be the first of many; that’s the future that’s in front of us that we start dreaming about 10 years ago,” said Mr Keaney.
Unlike other countries in Europe, Ireland has yet to make a significant move on the copper switch-off.
“It’s about encouraging adoption, setting a target date for copper switch-off, moving everybody to the futureproof connectivity that is available. It’s much more reliable,” he said, noting there was a need to focus on getting businesses on to the newer technology that could improve productivity and support the digital economy.
“I think supporting businesses to move off copper is really important. I’d set a target for 2030. The Government should be ambitious; that’s the next target to put out there.”
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Getting customers to move to the new technology would require a joint effort from industry and the Government, he said.
“There’s some fear of change. There are cohorts that have some connected devices and worry about what does that mean for those devices,” Mr Keaney said. “Some of these worries are real, some of them are just misunderstandings. There’s a role for industry and role for Government in helping that education.”
The joint venture between ESB and Vodafone Ireland is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and is now available to more than 650,000 premises across 143 towns and cities in Ireland. By 2026, that figure is expected to be 700,000.
“For a decade, Siro has played a significant role in accelerating Ireland’s digital transformation, a role that aligns with the Government’s ambition for a connected, inclusive Ireland,” said the Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan. “Siro has supported real progress for communities and businesses across our country. Their 10-year anniversary reflects a sustained commitment to delivery and innovation and promotes lasting change for communities across the country.”
