Eir claims Ireland is becoming 'one of the most fibre-connected countries in world'

Michael Bolton

Broadband and telecommunications provider Eir has announced it has connected 1 million homes and businesses across Ireland to its new high-speed fibre network, claiming that the country is on its way to becoming one of the most fibre-connected in the world.

The announcement was made at an industry event on Wednesday in Dublin attended by Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan and senior executives from Eir.

The company said it was committed to rolling out its gigabit broadband network, which is capable of speeds of up to 10GB per second, to 1.9 million front doors, or 84 per cent of homes and businesses in Ireland, by the end of 2026.

Measured by Eurostat as the eighth most fibre-connected country in the EU last year, Eir claims that Wednesday’s announcement will likely see Ireland further up the league table to sit among the best countries in the world for high-speed internet access.

The project will be completed two years ahead of the Government’s target to achieve nationwide high-speed broadband coverage of speeds in excess of 1,000MB per second.

It is expected that National Broadband Ireland, which is also rolling out at speed now, will deliver fibre connections to the remaining 16 per cent of premises in the country by 2028, resulting in total fibre coverage before the end of the decade.

The network build has been supported by more than €1 billion of investment to date, with another €250 million of investment planned each year to the end of 2026.

Approximately 250,000 additional premises will gain access to high-speed fibre to the home during each remaining year of the roll-out.

Commenting on the milestone, Eir chief executive Oliver Loomes said: "I'm delighted that eir's fibre roll-out sees Ireland become one of the best countries in Europe for broadband internet access.

"Last year we were in the top eight for fibre access; this year I expect we'll be in the top five.

"This is a major breakthrough for Ireland to become a top digital nation and it is in large part due to the efforts of our incredible teams who have worked tirelessly, in all conditions, to get this vital project done and connect homes and businesses for a better Ireland."

Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan said: "The Government commitment to providing high-speed broadband to every premises in Ireland by 2028 is well on schedule.

"The National Broadband Plan is designed to reach the hardest to reach places. In order to ensure nationwide connectivity, we see that it works best in partnership with the commercial sector. I congratulate eir on leading the way to meeting the goals of the National Digital Strategy, exceeding their own targets in the process.”