High-speed broadband connectivity on the way for almost 1,600 Louth homes, businesses and farms near Ardee as fibre rollout advances

Over 5,400 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 construction is underway to deliver high-speed broadband to almost 1,600 Louth premises in its Ardee deployment area. The includes the rural surrounds and townlands of Ardee, Stabannan and Collon. 

9,000 premises in Co Louth are included in the State’s Intervention Area, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms, and schools. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, Co Louth will receive €33m of Government investment under the National Broadband Plan. 

With survey and design phases now complete, high-speed fibre cabling is now being installed for 1,577 Louth premises in the Ardee deployment area, with connections to services expected to be available by summer next year.

Works have already been completed in other parts of Louth, including the rural surrounds of Dundalk and Drogheda. There is a total of 5,447 premises that can now pre-order or order high-speed, reliable broadband across the county with 2,641 connections made so far. 

Network build works are also continuing across Louth with build works in progress for over 1,600 premises near the Togher deployment area, due to be connected by the end of next year. Signing up to the NBI email notifications at nbi.ie is the easiest way to get the most up-to-date status of premises during the rollout and when premises will be ready for order.

TJ Malone, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: “Our teams are making excellent progress in Co Louth and we’re pleased to see fibre build works underway in the Ardee deployment area.

“Our overarching goal is to improve digital connectivity across the country. With minimum internet speed of 500 megabites per second, this new Fibre-to-the-Home network will play a pivotal role in sustaining local businesses and communities.”

National Rollout Progress

NBI has now passed over 430,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland to high-speed broadband with over 152,000 now connected. The average take-up rate of 35% is well ahead of projections and international comparisons and surpasses 50% in areas of the country where the network has been live for 18 months. 

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.    

Some 72 RSPs have already signed up to sell services on the NBI network™ and 66 are certified to provide connections as of today. To see the retail broadband providers that are currently licensed to sell 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.   

Broadband Connection Points 

In advance of the Fibre-to-the-Home rollout, the NBP provides for the delivery of Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) nationwide. 955 of these sites, including Public BCPs, are now ‘live’. Public BCPs – which include sports clubs, community centres and tourist sites – will provide free public access to high-speed internet in the rollout area. Other BCP categories include schools and marts. 

BCPs will pave the way for rural communities to receive the benefits of broadband, from mobile working, e-learning and mobile banking, to digital tourism. You can view BCPs at nbi.ie. An example of some of the locations of Broadband Connection Points in Louth include Annaghminnon Rovers GAA Club and Stephenstown Pond Nature Park. Primary schools in the Intervention Area are also now connected for educational access as part of the NBP.