National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company responsible for delivering the Government of Ireland’s National Broadband Plan, has won the prestigious social impact award at this year’s ESG Awards hosted by Business & Finance.
The award recognises organisations that have made significant contributions to address social issues and promote positive change in society. In winning the award, NBI was singled out for its work creating substantial and lasting impact on communities, as well as demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility and ethical practices.
Tracey Carney, managing director of Business & Finance, said: “The importance of ESG principles has become increasingly evident and sustainability now stands as the paramount and most pressing issue of our era. This year, we have seen an incredible standard being set by some of Ireland’s biggest and most exciting businesses, and National Broadband Ireland really stood out for its commitment to not just meet ambitious ESG goals but do more at every opportunity.
“In its delivery of the National Broadband Plan, NBI is laying vital infrastructure that is already proving to have enormous social impact. But what the judges were most impressed by is NBI’s commitment to consistently go above and beyond laying fibre. This was strongly evidenced in NBI’s work helping to establish and grow the RISE Community Fund in conjunction with its not-for-profit partner, RISE, which was founded by NBI’s chairman David McCourt. By listening and learning from the communities it does business in, it’s clear that NBI has established itself as part of the fabric or rural Ireland and is contributing significant social impact.”
NBI is well-versed in thinking long-term, with its state-of-art fibre network designed to ensure residents and businesses in rural Ireland will have access to world-class fibre broadband for future generations to come.
Peter Hendrick, CEO of NBI, added: “We recognise that connectivity alone can’t solve all of the challenges for businesses, community groups and social enterprises trying to expand the positive impact they’re able to have – both to the local community, and to the wider economy. That’s why we’ve been incredibly excited to engage local communities with the RISE Community Fund and celebrate innovative uses of technology. We’re seeing first-hand how our engagement with rural community organisations is driving tangible social change.”
NBI has now passed over 346,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland to high-speed broadband with over 120,000 now connected. The average take-up rate of 33% is well ahead of projections and international comparisons and surpasses 50% in areas of the country where the network has been live for 18 months.
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 progress in their area.
