Ronan Whelan. Image: Siro
Demand has grown for faster internet during the pandemic, and Siro predicts that Irish businesses will soon require speeds of up to 10Gbps.
Broadband company Siro has begun the roll-out of its 2Gbps fibre broadband service for Irish customers.
Customers in Kilkenny will be the first in Ireland to be able to access broadband speeds twice as fast as the gigabit broadband that has been rolled out in recent years. Work is under way to make the service available in 64 other Irish towns in the coming months.
Siro selected Kilkenny as the first location to launch the service due to its active customer base, as well as the presence of several broadband retailers offering Siro services to local homes. There is also a significant number of internet users employed in Kilkenny-based digital enterprises and fintechs, the company said.
Siro, which is a joint venture between Vodafone and ESB, is currently upgrading its existing fibre broadband network across Kilkenny city to facilitate the increased bandwidth. It said the current upgrade will lay the foundations to support further increases in broadband speeds in the future of up to 10Gbps.
From 19 October, households in Kilkenny will be able to pre-order Siro’s new product and can avail of the service from Vodafone, Blacknight and Pure Telecom.
Commenting on the roll-out, Siro chief commercial officer Ronan Whelan said the service “significantly future-proofs” the company’s network and offering to Irish customers.
“The pandemic has accelerated digital adoption and multiple device usage, bringing with it demand for higher broadband speeds and bandwidth. As Ireland now looks to recovery, particularly through increased digitisation, this demand will only grow further,” Whelan added.
In Ireland, broadband users’ demand for speed and bandwidth has surged, particularly with the accelerated digitisation in people’s homes because of remote working and home schooling during the pandemic. In 2014, fixed broadband download speeds were on average 14Mbps, according to Siro. By 2020, this had increased to 93Mbps.
“While the need for a two-gigabit fibre broadband is currently a product most suited to internet-heavy homes or users, it’s still important to Siro to service this niche, but growing, market segment,” said Whelan.
“The trend in recent years of ever-growing data demands tells us that what’s niche today will be mainstream tomorrow. As we kick off our two-gigabit roll-out across the Siro broadband network, we are already thinking ahead to what’s next. In terms of speed, it’s fair to say the next big leap forward will be the jump from two-gigabit to 10-gigabit for business – something already in Siro’s line of vision.”
Siro was founded in 2015 to bring gigabit fibre broadband to regions across the country using ESB’s existing electrical network. It has focused its efforts on connecting regional towns and traditionally underserved areas.
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