Over 9,100 Waterford homes, farms and business can connect to high-speed broadband now

National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company rolling out the new high-speed fibre broadband network under the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) today announces that it has now connected over 3,000 Waterford homes, farms and businesses under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) to high-speed fibre broadband.

There are 16,000 premises in Co Waterford included in the State’s Intervention Area, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to local communities. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, Co Waterford will receive €59M of Government investment under the National Broadband Plan.

The company was in town this week to meet with the 3,000th customer, local photographer Bernard van Giessen

Bernard and his partner, Fionnuala, relocated two years ago from Dundrum in Co Dublin to a three-storey home in close proximity to Lismore Caste, Co Waterford. Making the move to rural Ireland was a positive one, but it came with its challenges, specifically the lack of internet access in the area. As a photographer, Bernard often struggled to carry out basic tasks in his work such as sharing files and editing images. Inevitably, he would need to travel elsewhere to use the internet as there was virtually no signal in his home.

Their home has recently been connected to the NBI™ network meaning that Bernard and Fionnuala can enjoy the benefits of fast, reliable broadband. For Bernard, this means less time spent buffering and more quality time with Fionnuala on their weekly trips to the beach. They can now work, stream entertainment and connect with friends and family with ease.

Local man, Bernard van Giessen, said: “When I first moved to Lismore, my wife and I were told we would never be able to use 5G or even 4G in our new home. There was virtually no signal and this worsened whenever it rained. We reached out to several mobile network operators, and none were able to give us a solution.

“I signed up to NBI’s updates to be notified as soon as fibre broadband was available in our area. It acted as a guide, bringing us one step closer and closer to a seamless connection. Since connecting to the NBI™ network, it has been a real relief.

“When connecting, I viewed the long list of commercial providers to find the most competitive price and package. It was great to have such a wide range of choice. Quality and reliability were the most important factors for me, especially in my line of work. As a photographer, I regularly transfer large files. Before having high-speed fibre broadband, I had to leave my home to carry out any work. Now, I can get the job done without a hitch from the comfort of my home.”

Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland said: “It’s encouraging to hear the real impact of high-speed broadband on customers like Bernard. His story demonstrates the importance of reliable fibre broadband for rural communities in Waterford and across Ireland. 

“Our fibre rollout is showing real momentum and progress. The take-up of high-speed broadband on our network has been fantastic and we’re keen to continue to accelerate our rollout and bring the benefit of fibre broadband to more and more homes, businesses and farms. 

“In Waterford, we will connect 16,000 premises overall. We’re over the half-way mark as over 9,100 of those are ready to connect now. This includes homes, businesses and farms in the rural surrounding areas of Tallow, Youghal and Waterford City. I encourage people to visit the NBI website, nbi.ie, where they can check their Eircode and sign up for updates.”

Mick Forry, Commercial Director at Sky Ireland said: “We’re delighted to see customers, like Bernard, experience all the benefits fibre broadband has to offer. For Sky, our partnership with National Broadband Ireland is all about providing fibre access to rural communities and making ultrafast broadband available across Co Waterford and beyond. 

“Through the National Broadband Plan, our customers can transform the way they work and study from home, as well as enjoying greater access to entertainment. Sky Broadband delivers a highly reliable service at competitive prices, so there are packages to suit everyone.

“We are looking forward to connecting more and more people as the NBI rollout continues to gather pace.”

Under the National Broadband Plan, over 564,000 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 or intending to provide access to high-speed broadband. 

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 72 RSPs have already signed up to sell services on the National Broadband Ireland network and 68 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 National Broadband Ireland network, visit NBI.ie/buy.

Data as of 02.08.2024