Meath in Ireland is set to benefit from an investment of €20 million for the roll out of fibre broadband. The funding from wholesale broadband operator, SIRO follows the successful roll out in Navan, where services are now live.
The eight towns in the region to benefit from connection to SIRO’s fibre to the building network will be Ashbourne, Dunshaughlin, Ratoath, Trim, Dunboyne, Mornington, Laytown and Bettystown. Work will make services available to a further 21,000 homes and business in the county.
As part of the expanded rollout in Meath, SIRO asked business centres in the towns to register their interest in participating in the Gigabit Hub Initiative, run in partnership with Vodafone. This aims to provide Gigabit connectivity to one of the 10 participating hubs free of charge for two years. The objective is to replicate the success of the Ludgate Hub in Skibbereen, which the company says is on course to help create 500 jobs in the West Cork region over the next five years.
Commenting about the addition of eight Meath towns to SIRO’s rollout, Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal Damien English TD said: ‘I have been actively advocating in government for plans to help accelerate the rollout of high-speed broadband across the country, so it is brilliant to see eight new towns in Meath get access to what is regarded as the international gold standard for broadband.’
Added Jackie Maguire, chief executive of Meath County Council: ‘One of the key aims of Meath County Council’s digital strategy is to help boost the economic and social development of the county through improved digital capabilities. The wider rollout of SIRO’s 100 per cent fibre-optic broadband network, which will now reach nine towns in the county, illustrates how we are delivering on that promise.’
John McManus, SIRO build director, concluded: ‘We’re delighted to broaden the scope of our rollout, with eight Meath towns added to our plans. SIRO is building Ireland’s only 100 per cent fibre-optic network, which means that anyone in Meath using our services are guaranteed the best broadband experience in the country as there is nothing faster than the speed of light.’
