High speed connectivity on the way as all homes, farms and businesses in the Westmeath deployment areas see engineering survey works completed

Over 5,800 homes, businesses and farms in Westmeath can avail of a high-speed connection today

14 July 2023: National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company rolling out the new high speed fibre broadband network under the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) today announced that engineering survey works for over 1,500 Westmeath premises in the Tyrrellspass deployment area are now completed. Homes, businesses and farms in rural areas south of Mullingar and near Tyrrellspass village and Rochfortsbridge are included in this deployment area.

In Westmeath, there are approximately 12,000 premises in the Intervention Area (IA), which includes homes, farms, commercial businesses, and schools. Under the National Broadband Plan, Offaly will see an investment of €46M in the new high speed fibre network. This will enable e-learning, remote monitoring of livestock or equipment, e-health initiatives, better energy efficiency in the home, and facilitate increased levels of remote working. 

NBI crews have made substantial progress in Tyrrellspass, where 1,509 Westmeath premises included in the deployment area have recently completed surveying work. These initial works pave the way for the next stage of deploying fibre on poles/ducts and includes the erection of poles, unblocking of ducts, and the insertion of sub duct into existing ducts, for the fibre to be installed. 

There are 5,854 homes, businesses, and farms in County Westmeath that can order or pre-order high-speed, reliable broadband. National Broadband Ireland is calling on people living in Westmeath to visit nbi.ie/map/ and enter their Eircode to see if they are ready to connect.

NBI Chief Executive Peter Hendrick said: “Momentum has been steadily building in the progression of the National Broadband Plan rollout, with homes across the country being connected to high-speed broadband. Our teams continue to work on the rollout plan and good progress has been made from surveying, design, build to connection works in County Westmeath.”  

“We’re confident that the rollout will continue to gather pace as we look to connect thousands more homes and businesses. We know that people want access to high-speed broadband and our goal is to deliver that as quickly as possible.” 

National Broadband Ireland contractors have been on the ground across the country and over 175,316 premises nationwide can order or pre-order broadband on the NBI network so far.

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.  

Broadband Connection Points

In advance of the Fibre-to-the-Home rollout, the NBP provides for the delivery of Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) nationwide. 602 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 www.nbi.ie/bcp-map/. An example of some of the locations of Broadband Connection Points in Westmeath include Clonkill Hurling Club, Milltown Emper Community Centre and Whitehall Community Centre. Primary schools in the Intervention Area are also being connected for educational access as part of the NBP.