Broadband on the way for second largest of Aran Islands as 147 homes and businesses on Inis Meáin can now pre-order fibre broadband services ahead of connections becoming available on the NBI network™
641 homes and businesses on Inis Mór already available to order high-speed fibre broadband on the NBI network™
Representatives from National Broadband Ireland will be visiting both Inis Meáin and Inis Mór over the coming weeks to provide information and support to residents and businesses connecting to the network
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 pre-orders have opened on Inis Meáin (Inishmaan) as works to connect the island continue to progress.
NBI’s connection of Inis Meáin will mean that 147 homes and businesses on the island will be able to access high-speed fibre broadband. 641 premises on Inis Mór (Inishmore) can also order connections on the NBI network™ with final testing and commissioning progressing as planned. Works continue to progress to connect Inis Oírr (Inisheer).
Representatives from National Broadband Ireland will be visiting both Inis Meáin and Inis Mór over the coming weeks to provide information and support to residents and businesses on how to access high-speed broadband through the Government’s National Broadband Plan.
They will be available to answer questions about broadband availability, explain how to place an order with a retail service provider, and provide guidance on connecting homes and businesses. Residents will be able to identify the representatives by their black NBI-branded jackets.
The visits are currently planned for Inis Mór from 20-22 July and Inis Meáin from 27 July. Dates are subject to weather and travel conditions.
TJ Malone, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: “The opening of pre-orders on Inis Meáin marks another important step towards delivering reliable, future-proofed broadband to communities across the Aran Islands. With 147 homes and businesses on Inis Meáin now able to pre-order services, and pre-orders already open for 641 premises on Inis Mór, residents and businesses are moving closer to being connected to the NBI network.
“Our representatives will be visiting both islands over the coming weeks to answer questions and provide practical support on the pre-ordering and connection process. We encourage residents and businesses to speak with the team and contact a participating retail service provider so they are ready to connect when services become available.”
There are 37,174 premises that can now pre-order or order high-speed, reliable broadband across Galway with 12,539 connections made to date. Works have also been completed in rural areas surrounding Galway City, Gort and Ballinasloe.
National Broadband Ireland is encouraging all Co Galway 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 rollout under the NBP is delivering broadband infrastructure 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 41,000 premises in Galway, 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 Galway will receive €153m of Government investment under the National Broadband Plan.
With the national switch-off of the copper network approaching, NBI’s fibre network will ensure communities across Galway are prepared for the future by supporting remote working, education, healthcare access and local enterprise while providing the reliability needed for everyday living.
National Rollout Progress
NBI has now passed over 498,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland to high-speed broadband with over 182,000 now connected. The average take-up rate of 37% is well ahead of projections and international comparisons and surpasses 60% in areas of the country where the network has been live the longest.
The National Broadband Ireland website is regularly updated to show estimated connection dates. The easiest way to get updates on when a home or business 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 2035 as the latest date for EU Member States to mandate the decommissioning of the 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.
