SIRO announces further expansion of its pure fibre broadband network

A good broadband connection has fast become a basic modern utility, with access to the internet now an essential part of our everyday lives.

So it’s no surprise perhaps that SIRO has announced that it is to significantly expand its network around the country.

When complete, the expansion will see SIRO serve around 2.1 million customers nationwide, with total investment in Ireland to exceed €1 billion by project end.

Before we get into the finer details of the news, here’s a quick reminder about who SIRO is.

Who is SIRO?

SIRO is a joint venture between Vodafone and the ESB.

The aim of the project is to roll out an extensive, high-speed, fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband network around Ireland so consumers can have access to super-fast broadband speeds.

SIRO is a wholesale provider of broadband meaning it doesn't sell to consumers directly but rather through retailers such as Sky, Digiweb and Vodafone.

Here’s a complete refresher on SIRO.

What’s the announcement from SIRO?

SIRO has announced it will be expanding its pure fibre network to thousands more homes and businesses throughout the country over the coming months - 320,000 more to be precise.

The investment will cost SIRO €620m, with funding having been secured through the European Investment Bank and a syndicate of Irish and international lenders.

As it stands, around 400,000 premises have access to SIRO’s FTTH broadband network, and with its planned expansion that number will go up to around 770,000 homes and businesses.

Customers who have access to SIRO in their locality can access the fibre-powered broadband network through the likes of Sky and Vodafone who use SIRO’s network for many of their broadband products.

You can compare SIRO-powered deals using our broadband comparison tool on bonkers.ie today.

Chief executive of SIRO, John Keaney had this to say about SIRO’s expansion plans:

Connecting over two million people as part of a Gigabit society matters because it means that more people have the option of working from home, with less cars on the roads and families able to spend more quality time with each other.

Similarly, more businesses will be more fully participating in the digital economy, collaborating with clients seamlessly and selling to customers in every corner of the globe. Thanks to our future-proofed network, Siro will power Ireland's broadband needs for decades ahead.

Why this is good news

SIRO expanding its network means far more customers will now have access to high-speed, fibre broadband than ever before, with more broadband plans available to choose from.

What’s more, because of delays to the rollout of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) due to the pandemic, SIRO’s expansion couldn’t have come at a better time for consumers, especially those waiting on a fast and reliable connection.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Government aims to have 90% of the population connected to high-speed broadband come 2025, however, that still means 10% may well be without such a service until then or after. So despite the progress that could be made in that four-year period under the NBP, many homes could very well be relying on SIRO’s network, or others, to ensure they can stay connected.

In short, this is really helpful in terms of choice for consumers, especially for those in areas that don't have a good connection right now.

Why FTTH is better

Fibre-to-the-home broadband is often called pure fibre broadband as it doesn't rely on old telephone copper wires for any of the network.

FTTH uses fibre cables all the way into your home and can achieve speeds of up to 1,000Mbps, or 1Gbps at present.

You can consult our fibre broadband guide here to find out all you need to know.

What’s possible with FTTH broadband?

As mentioned above, FTTH connections can achieve eye-watering speeds of up to 1,000Mbps so latency, or lagging, shouldn’t be an issue.

What’s more, super fast broadband as it’s quite often known, makes the delivery of smart homes possible. So, think of all those devices which make your life easier, from your smart TV to your smart home assistant - FTTH makes all of that possible.

Superfast broadband speeds also make the streaming of high-quality TV and Video-On-Demand so much more seamless, especially important when keeping up with all of the latest shows which is such a popular pastime nowadays.

So, if you’re considering upgrading your broadband connection to a SIRO deal, or even a faster FTTH plan, make sure to take a look at all your options on bonkers.ie.

Compare broadband on bonkers.ie

You can compare broadband speeds on bonkers.ie right now using our broadband comparison tool.

We compare deals across 10 broadband providers in Ireland so when you run a comparison you know you’ll see everything available to you.

What’s even better with our comparison tool is that when you type in your specific Eircode, we tailor your results to your exact location so you know the results you see on screen are only what’s available in your area.

So, if you see a broadband deal available from SIRO in your results you know that network and deal is available for sign up for you - it’s that simple.

However, before switching broadband providers there are a few important things you should consider beforehand. Take a look at our helpful broadband guides below for more info.

• Check out these 7 things to consider before switching your broadband provider.
• If you feel your current connection lagging, here are simple ways to speed up your connection.
• Finally, if you decide to switch, here’s how to do just that in a few simple steps on bonkers.ie.

You can always stay up to date on the latest broadband-related stories by consulting our blog and guides pages.

Get in touch

Do you have any questions about SIRO’s latest news? Are you considering signing up to a plan that uses the SIRO network? Let us know in the comments below.

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