317 homes and businesses on Bere Island can now connect to fibre broadband on the NBI network™
Over 58,700 premises in Co Cork can avail of a high-speed connection today
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 Bere Island (An tOileán Mór) has now been connected to high-speed fibre broadband as the rollout across Cork has now passed over 58,700 homes, farms and businesses.
NBI’s connection of Bere Island means that 317 homes and businesses on the island, located on the Beara Peninsula, can now access high-speed fibre broadband.
The completion of works on Bere Island means that 58,751 premises that can now pre-order or order high-speed, reliable broadband across Cork with 18,996 connections made to date. Works have also been completed in rural areas surrounding Carrigaline, Templemartin, Midleton and across the Beara Peninsula.
National Broadband Ireland is encouraging all Co Cork residents to visit nbi.ie and check their Eircode to see if they’re ready to connect and find out more about placing an order.
NBI’s fibre broadband rollout under the National Broadband Plan is delivering broadband services to what is known as the State’s Intervention Area, which includes the most remote and rural parts of Ireland where commercial operators have no plans to deliver high-speed broadband. The Intervention Area currently includes 83,000 premises in Cork, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms, and schools across the county. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, Co Cork will receive €314m of Government investment under the National Broadband Plan.
With the national switch-off of the copper network approaching, NBI’s fibre network will ensure communities across Cork are prepared for the future by supporting remote working, education, healthcare access and local enterprise while providing the reliability needed for everyday living.
TJ Malone, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: “We are delighted to announce that Bere Island has now been connected the NBI network™. This means that people living on Bere Island can access the same high-speed, reliable broadband connection as communities on the mainland. The delivery of high-speed broadband to the islands is having a transformative impact on what are some of the most remote communities in the country, supporting local businesses, enabling remote working and learning, and helping people live on the islands year-round.
“We are at the height of switcher season, with many broadband providers offering competitive pricing and switching incentives at this time of year. This makes it an ideal time for households and businesses across Cork to move to fibre, particularly as fibre broadband could cost the same as copper services and allows customers to keep their existing phone number when they switch.
“As we enter the final year of the National Broadband Plan rollout, we’re encouraging everyone in Cork to check their Eircode on nbi.ie and order now to secure high-speed fibre broadband for their home or business.”
National Rollout Progress
NBI has now passed over 448,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland to high-speed broadband with over 163,000 now connected. The average take-up rate of 36% is well ahead of projections and international comparisons and surpasses 60% in areas of the country where the network has been live for 18 months.
The National Broadband Ireland website is regularly updated to show estimated connection dates. The easiest way to get updates on when a home or business will be ready to order is by signing up for NBI email alerts at nbi.ie.
As fibre networks now offering superior speed, capacity, and reliability, the older copper infrastructure will be gradually decommissioned. The European Commission has proposed 2030 as the latest date for the decommissioning of the legacy copper networks. Fibre networks now offer superior speed, capacity and reliability.
Choosing a Broadband Provider
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.
Over 50 RSPs are available on the NBI network™ to provide connections as of today. To see all retail broadband providers that are currently on the NBI network™, visit nbi.ie.
Keep up to Speed!
NBI is encouraging people to check their eligibility and register for updates at nbi.ie to receive regular notifications related to their own premises as works progress in their area.
