Almost 1,600 Louth homes and businesses near Ardee can now connect to fibre broadband on the NBI network™
Almost 6,800 premises in Co Louth 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 Ardee has now been connected to high-speed fibre broadband. Almost 6,800 homes, farms and businesses in the county can place an order for high-speed broadband today.
NBI’s connection of Ardee means that 1,578 homes and businesses can now access high-speed fibre broadband. This includes the rural surrounds of Ardee, Collon and Clonkeen.
The completion of works near Ardee means that 6,787 premises that can now pre-order or order high-speed, reliable broadband across Louth with 2,879 connections made to date.
National Broadband Ireland is encouraging all Louth 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 9,000 premises in Louth 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 Louth will receive €33m of Government investment under the National Broadband Plan.
As Ireland transitions away from legacy copper networks, NBI’s fibre network will ensure communities across Louth 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 almost 1,600 Louth homes, businesses and farms near Ardee can now connect to NBI’s high-speed fibre broadband. Those connected are experiencing the life-changing benefits of high-speed fibre broadband with minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second.
“With the national switch-off of the copper network approaching, NBI’s fibre network will ensure communities across Co Louth are prepared for the future by supporting remote working, education, healthcare access, and local enterprise while providing the reliability needed for everyday living.
“As we enter the final year of the National Broadband Plan rollout, we’re encouraging everyone in Louth 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 451,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland to high-speed broadband with over 165,000 now connected. The average take-up rate of 36% is well ahead of projections and international comparisons and surpasses 60% in some areas of the country where the network has been live for 18 months.
The National Broadband Ireland website is regularly updated to show estimated completion dates. With the main rollout due to be concluded by the end of this year, the remaining homes and businesses yet to be passed will be able to place an order for high-speed broadband in the coming months. The easiest way to get updates on when a premises will be ready to order is by signing up for NBI email alerts at nbi.ie.
As fibre networks expand across Ireland, offering superior speed, capacity, and reliability, older copper telephone and broadband infrastructure will start to be decommissioned. The European Commission has proposed 2030 as the latest date for the decommissioning of legacy copper networks.
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.
