Eir, owned by French entrepreneur Xavier Niel, plans to reach 1.9m premises with FTTB.
Eir is expanding its gigabit fibre infrastructure to pass 200,000 more homes and businesses. So far, it was has passed 1.7 million with fibe and has 772,000 fixed broadband subscribers. Niel’s promise to pass 1.9 million premises with fibre equates to 84% of businesses and dwellings in the republic.
Eavann Murphy, MD of Eir’s wholesale operation, said, “Our purpose is, and always will be, to connect for a better Ireland and we do this by building world class fibre networks as we understand that high speed broadband has become absolutely essential to support the way we work, live, do business, socialise and connect.”
Universal broadband
The company said the 16% of Ireland not covered by its plan would be served by the national broadband plan. The government in 2019 set up National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to connect rural parts of the country with FTTH. “We are actively supporting the national broadband plan,” said Murphy.
She added that the two projects together “will mean Ireland will have a ubiquitous gigabit fibre network, making this one of the most connected countries in the world”.
She added, “The upgrade of all premises, both homes and businesses, to a gigabit fibre connection will enable customers to live and work anywhere they choose in Ireland, while being connected with highspeed fibre, an absolute essential.”
Niel has said he intends to take his telecom empire private, including eir, valuing the entire business at €10.85 billion.