Source: Live95 FM

Build works for the new National Broadband Plan are now underway in Limerick.

National Broadband Ireland are creating the new network in a mapped ‘rollout area’ covering 544,000 premises and benefitting over one million people nationally.

Over 4,000 premises have been surveyed to date with network designs completed to deliver the new Fibre to Home Network in Limerick.

Crews have started the initial works for the build in the townlands outside Limerick City including Mungret, Patrickswell, Crecora, Castleconnell and Caherconlish.

In Limerick there are 21,231 premises in the ‘Rollout Area’, which includes homes, farms, commercial businesses and schools.

It equates to 22% of all the included premises in the country.

Under the National Broadband Plan, Limerick will see an investment of €86M in the new high speed fibre network. 

The plan aims to enable e-learning, remote monitoring of livestock or equipment, e-health initiatives, better energy efficiency in the home, and more remote working.

The new network will ‘go live’ in these parts of the county in early 2021.

Peter Hendrick NBI Chief Executive Officer, said that real progress is being made in the first year of the National Broadband Plan:

“There are 227 deployments areas across Ireland – in every county- that NBI will be delivering this new high-speed fibre broadband network in, across 96% of Ireland’s land mass. We are currently working closely with retail service providers, and other stakeholders, to connect the first homes in Limerick in early 2021. Speeds of up to 10Gb will be available.

“Our mission is to end the digital divide across the country, and high speed broadband access has never been more critical in how we live our lives. Digital connectivity is critical to many of our activities right now, and this new Fibre-to-the-Home network, will be a key enabler for the sustainment of local businesses and communities.”

Over 126,000 premises have now been surveyed nationwide, in the eight months since the National Broadband Plan got underway.

Build works are also underway for in parts of Cork, Cavan and Galway, with works in Tralee and Wexford set to follow.