Skibb now ‘as fast' as Tokyo!

THE ESB/Vodafone joint venture, Siro, has fully completed its rollout in Skibbereen, linking the town to its 100% fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) broadband network. 

This will see 1GB connectivity now available to 1,500 homes and businesses in the town from broadband retailers. 

The announcement was made as part of last week’s hugely successful National Digital Week event, organised by the local Ludgate Hub, which saw 1,600 entrepreneurs, digital marketers and technology enthusiasts able to experience gigabit connectivity. 

There was more good news for Ludgate this week as it was named runner-up in the Future Proof and Quality of Service category at the European Broadband Awards in Brussels.

Ludgate CEO Grainne Dwyer also made a presentation on Skibbereen at the EC’s Going Giga conference in Brussels this week.

Siro’s gigabit connectivity for Skibbereen means the town’s connectivity is now three times as powerful as the market leading service in Dublin, and 10 times as powerful as the market leading service in rural Ireland. It has given Skibbereen the same level of broadband connectivity as leading international hubs such as Tokyo and Hong Kong. 

Siro CEO Sean Atkinson, said the rollout will have as big an impact on Skibbereen as rural electrification. 

Siro also said it had been agreed that local firm, O’Donnell Furniture on the Baltimore Road, would also get the connectivity, although it is outside the boundary of the project.

This was agreed after negotiations with Siro’s partners Vodafone and ESB, and will give the award-winning design firm huge opportunities.