Fermoy and Mitchelstown included in fibre broadband expansion

Fermoy and Mitchelstown are among eight towns across the county to see SIRO, the broadband network operator, bringing its network to the area in 2023.

Work is already underway or will commence later this year across Fermoy, Mitchelstown, Youghal, Bandon, Kinsale and Passage West, towns that were not part of the original roll-out plans, in order to bring fibre broadband live. This represents an additional investment of €25 million, which will bring SIRO’s total investment in the county to over €125 million when its full rollout is completed.

SIRO also indicated that while the six new towns being added to the SIRO network are the priority for 2023, its rollout to other Cork towns and areas in the city will continue over the coming years, with additional new areas being announced in 2024.

Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath TD, welcomed the expansion of the fibre broadband for Cork county, stating that fibre broadband makes remote working a ‘real possibility’ and it ‘helps breathe life back into our towns’.

“It is also great news for businesses and farmers in particular who are now able to conduct more of their business online. Having a high-quality broadband connection provides opportunities for people to start up a new business and means that location is no longer a barrier for many startups,” Minister McGrath said.

OPPORTUNITY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In Cork County, SIRO is already live in several towns including Mallow,

Skibbereen, Carrigaline, Carrigtwohill and Little Island.

News of the investment was announced this week by the company as part of a presentation made by CEO John Keaney to the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Danny Collins, elected members of Cork County Council and Chief Executive, Tim Lucey.

Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr Collins also welcomed the news, stating that he is ‘delighted' to see the network expansion.

“Access to reliable high-quality broadband is essential for our business community as well as our residents. It will unlock further opportunities for economic development in Cork towns and will support remote working for those wishing to reduce their commute,” he said.

In 2023 alone, SIRO will make its Gigabit fibre broadband services available to 20,000 additional premises across the eight Cork County towns. This equates to an additional 55,000 people within the county having access to Ireland’s most advanced broadband network.

Having first commenced its full fibre broadband network roll-out in Cork in 2017, SIRO’s network in the county has grown significantly and its network is currently available to over 60,000 premises throughout the county. This equates to over 162,000 people living in Cork already having access to the network.

'STRONG' DEMAND

Commenting on the announcement, SIRO CEO, John Kearney noted that demand for high-quality broadband across Cork remains strong.

“Today’s announcement is good news for towns across Cork, many of whom have had to endure poor connectivi

ty until now. The arrival of SIRO’s full fibre broadband to towns across Cork will bring them new opportunities and safeguard their

future.

“Demand for high-quality broadband across Cork remains very strong. SIRO is responding to that

demand with more than 60,000 premises across Cork city and towns who can already avail of our broadband network. SIRO’s work in 2023 will

expand our footprint in Cork this year even further. And beyond that, we are already looking ahead to more areas in Cork,” he said.