Vodafone and ESB presented details of their plans for a joint venture to deliver 100% fibre-to-the-building broadband network to Cavan town at a meeting of Cavan Chamber yesterday. A trial project involving 300 households in the Aughnaskerry and Rocklands estates has been running since last year, delivering speeds of up to 1Gb/s download and upload, equivalent to those enjoyed in Tokyo and Hong Kong.
The service is being built on the back of the ESB’s existing powerline network, allowing fibre to be delivered straight to the building instead of to junction boxes relying on existing copper lines for last mile connectivity.
The joint venture will invest €450 million in developing the open access network, which will be available to all authorised broadband operators in the country. Construction will begin this summer before becoming available to consumers and businesses in the autumn.
Sean Atkinson, CEO of ESB and Vodafone’s Joint Venture Company, said: “There has been a fantastic reception from Aughnaskerry and Rocklands residents, who are the first people in Ireland to experience a new type of broadband, which is powered entirely by light. Businesses in Cavan town will be on the same playing field as the most cutting edge cities in the world, providing a vital boost for the local economy.
“The project brings together two leading international companies – ESB and Vodafone – with the technological expertise and infrastructural experience to make available the kind of future-proofed broadband service which will be a crucial element for Ireland’s future competitiveness. Cavan and the 49 other towns involved in the first phase will have access to the most powerful broadband in the country, making it more attractive for companies to consider investing in Ireland and helping to develop a new generation of online entrepreneurs in Cavan and beyond.”
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