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 Ballinasloe have been successfully connected.
Up to 39,000 premises in County Galway 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 €153 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 50 RSPs have already signed up to sell services on the NBI network and 34 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 Ballinasloe, which will enable users to experience the life-changing benefits that high-speed broadband provides. This is a key milestone for this intervention area.”
“As an increasing number of homes and businesses are being connected, we are confident that the rollout will continue to gather pace as we look to connect thousands more homes and businesses. We are acutely aware that people want access to high-speed broadband and our goal is to deliver that as quickly as possible.”
Michael Fitzmaurice, T.D. for Roscommon-Galway said: “I welcome today’s milestone of the first connections made to premises in Ballinasloe under the National Broadband Plan. This is a key development for the digital footprint of the area, and an important step towards ensuring that communities, homes, schools and businesses across Galway and Roscommon have access to high-speed fibre broadband.
While meeting NBI representatives in the county this week I have stressed the need for urgency regarding the speed of the deployment of broadband. Our communities in rural Ireland are in immediate need of connectivity and every effort is required to expediate the fibre rollout.”
Martin Moran, one of the first customers connected in the Ballinasloe Deployment Area to be connected to the NBI network said: “We were delighted to be connected to high speed broadband by NBI. It’s allowed myself and my wife to experience a variety of advantages, knowing that we can rely on a consistent connection to high speed broadband. This includes greater capacity to work on projects such as charity work and to enjoy leisure activities such as streaming, as well as video calls with family members abroad.”
Noel Madden, Broadband Officer with Galway County Council said “Galway County Council welcomes Investment to improve telecommunications services in County Galway, as the need to access high speed broadband is fast becoming a part of everyday life for most people.”
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, 554,000 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 roll out, the NBP provides for the delivery of Broadband Connection Points (BCP’s) nationwide. 522 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.
BCP’s 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 Galway include Clonfert Community Hall, Mountbellew Regional Mart, and Ballinakill 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.
