National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the new future-proofed, high-speed Fibre-to-the-Home network under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) on behalf of the Government, has announced that the first premises in the Sligo Deployment Area have been successfully connected.

Up to 15,000 premises in County Sligo are included in the State’s Intervention Area, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms and schools. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, the County will receive €59 million of Government investment under the NBP.

As a wholesale network operator, NBI does not sell fibre broadband directly to end users, rather it enables services from a range of broadband providers or Retail Service Providers (RSPs). As a wholesale provider, NBI will make the new Fibre-to-the-Home network available to all RSPs operating in the Intervention Area.

Some 56 RSPs have already signed up to sell services on the NBI network and 43 are certified as ready to start providing connections as of today. To see the retail broadband providers that are currently licensed to sell on the NBI™ network, visit NBI.ie/buy

Peter Hendrick, CEO of National Broadband Ireland, said: “National Broadband Ireland is delighted to be able to say that we have now commenced our first connections in Sligo, which will enable users to experience the life-changing benefits that high-speed broadband provides. This is a key milestone for this intervention area.”

“Almost 2,500 Sligo premises can already place orders and get connected which will significantly improve people’s quality of life and employment opportunities. We are acutely aware that people want access to high-speed broadband and our goal is to deliver that as quickly as possible.”

Micheál Feehily, owner of Feehilys Florist and one of the first customers in the Sligo Deployment Area to be connected to the NBI network said: “Like businesses all over Ireland, we are now heavily reliant on broadband and what it does for our business on a day-to-day basis. We have been a long-standing customer of Fastcom and were delighted when NBI Gigabit fibre became available to us.
We have a very strong online presence with customer orders being taken around the clock through our website. That’s why a strong internet connection is critical for us here at Feehily’s Florist both now and into the future.

We are thrilled to be connected with Fastcom to NBI broadband as high-speed fibre has had a really positive effect on our company. The entire connecting process was simple, and the fast connection that Fastcom is providing over the NBI network is a game-changer for a company like ours that is now accepting online orders around-the-clock. It’s great knowing we can rely on consistent broadband connection.”

Lorraine Gribbons, Managing Director at Fastcom – the Retail Service Provider selling services on the new fibre network in the area – commented: “Fastcom customers like Feehily’s rely on us to be a trusted broadband partner, working with them to deliver the best solution for their business. We are really excited to collaborate with NBI on this project to provide Feehily’s Florist with unlimited 1Gb fibre broadband as part of the National Broadband Plan. We know that this service will only help Feehily’s in their continued growth and success.

The National Broadband Plan will also further empower the drive to bring more businesses and a skilled workforce to the West of Ireland, something businesses like ourselves here at Fastcom have been actively encouraging for years. Customers all around the county are now enjoying the advantages of high-speed fibre broadband, and we have already heard nothing but good things from them. We take great pleasure in providing excellent customer service, and we can’t wait for the businesses and homes we look after to benefit from NBI’s lightning-fast broadband and all the possibilities it opens up.”

Nigel Carter, Broadband Officer for Sligo County Council said: “Sligo County Council welcomes NBI’s delivery of fibre infrastructure in the intervention areas of County Sligo. We are delighted that the first wave of local people & businesses in the Sligo Deployment Area can now benefit from a connection to high-speed broadband via the National Broadband Plan. This development will bring a variety of new and exciting opportunities to people in the area and we look forward to this connectivity rolling out county-wide.”

NBI contractors have been on the ground since January 2020 surveying townlands across the county. This involves physically walking the routes and documenting images, notes and measurements of the poles, cables and underground ducts in each area, and enables design solutions for the provision of the fibre network.

Under the National Broadband Plan, 559,000 premises nationwide are included in the Intervention Area, which was established by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications to identify areas where commercial operators are not currently providing access to high-speed broadband or do not intend to.

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs)
In advance of the Fibre-to-the-Home rollout, the NBP provides for the delivery of Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) nationwide. 574 of these sites, including Public BCPs, are now ‘live’. Public BCPs – which include sports clubs, community centres and tourist sites – will provide free public access to high-speed internet in the rollout area. Other BCP categories include schools and marts.

BCPs will pave the way for rural communities to receive the benefits of broadband, from mobile working, e-learning and mobile banking, to digital tourism. You can view BCPs at /bcp-map/. An example of some of the locations of Broadband Connection Points in Laois include Shanganamore Community Centre, Donaghmore Workhouse and Agriculture Museum, Vicarstown Community Centre, Oisin House, Rossmore and Emo ‘Old School’ Community Centre. Primary schools in the Intervention Area are also being connected for educational access as part of the NBP.

Keep up to Speed!
NBI is encouraging people to check their eligibility and register for updates at www.nbi.ie to receive regular notifications related to their own premises as works progresses in their area.