Milestone achieved in Government’s National Broadband Plan as over 367,000 premises passed.
3rd June 2025: National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company responsible for delivering the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP), has announced that two thirds of homes, farms and businesses in the rollout area can now connect to high-speed broadband.
There are now 367,154 premises that have been passed with NBI fibre (out of the 564,000 currently included in the NBP Intervention Area). This follows a decision earlier this year to bring forward the connection timeline for 65,000 homes, farms and businesses, ensuring faster access to fibre broadband for thousands of families and communities across rural Ireland.
When a premises is passed, an order can be placed to connect to high-speed fibre broadband on the NBI Network. People living and working in rural Ireland can enter their Eircode on the NBI website, www.nbi.ie, to see if their home or business is included in the rollout and how to get connected.
With more than 50 broadband providers actively selling on NBI’s open-access network, rural communities now have access to the same level of competition and choice as those in urban areas. Customers can select from a wide range of internet providers, with competitive pricing and bundled packages available nationwide.
The rollout is already delivering meaningful impact with 129,079 premises already connected. Take-up rates now average 35% and continue to climb, approaching 60% in areas where the network has been live the longest such as the rural areas near Athlone, Castlebar and Emyvale. Fibre broadband is also live on ten offshore islands, including Hare Island, Collanmore Island and Rutland Island, with build works significantly completed on others including Achill Island, where people can now order connectivity on the NBI Network.
Independent research has highlighted early social and economic benefits – such as improved quality of life, increased productivity for rural businesses, and enhanced access to services – showing the transformative potential of the NBP as it nears completion.
Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, T.D. said: “This is a major milestone for the National Broadband Plan and for rural Ireland. Two-thirds of homes, farms and businesses in the rollout area can now access world-class connectivity – a transformative step for communities, businesses and families across the country. Reliable high-speed broadband is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity, and I am proud of the Government’s ongoing commitment to ensuring every home, no matter how remote, is given the opportunity to thrive in a connected world.”
Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: “We are proud to have passed two-thirds of the premises in the State intervention area, bringing us significantly closer to our goal of delivering high-speed fibre broadband to every home, farm and business in the rollout area. The strong and growing take-up rate reflects the demand for reliable connectivity in rural Ireland and the trust people are placing in the NBI network. With over 50 retail providers offering services on our open-access network, end users have real choice and access to world-leading speeds.”
Progress update as of 23.05.2025:
- The number of premises passed, and which can connect to NBI’s fibre network is 367,154.
- 129,079 premises are already connected.
- The average take-rate is 35%. Take-up is approaching 60% where services have been available for longer.
- 95% of the project (537,286 premises) has moved to or through construction.
- 100% of premises have been surveyed.
- Take-up rates are approaching 60% in the Deployment Areas that were released first.
- 955 Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) have been installed and are live with 672 of these in schools.
- A high-speed broadband connection through NBI is available for order on 10 of the 27 islands included in the rollout. The remaining 17 islands are in various stages of survey and design works.
