Half of Irish businesses still not using fibre broadband
Research from broadband operator Siro, has found that just over half of all Irish businesses (53%) are still not on a fibre broadband connection.
The survey was onducted by Amárach Research, who surveyed more than 270 Irish businesses, ranging from small to large enterprises, on their broadband usage, experience and satisfaction with their connectivity overall.
The analysis came against a backdrop of accelerating fibre broadband rollouts nationally; increased access to full fibre broadband, particularly in towns and cities where a majority of businesses are located; and the fact that the switch-off of outdated copper broadband networks will shortly commence.
Micro companies are lagging behind most, with approximately half of businesses with less than ten staff (51%) are not yet using fibre compared to just under a third (30%) of medium or larger businesses without fibre.
The survey also found that while one third (32%) of businesses have switched to fibre broadband over the last five years, however a similar amount (35%) had not.
Switching rates between small and bigger businesses also differed, with a 20% gap in rates of businesses who have switched to fibre broadband depending on business size.
More than half of small businesses (51%) said they had not yet using fibre compared to 30% of medium or larger businesses who are not.
Cost (26%), availability (22%), lack of awareness on fibre and its benefits (21%), and a belief that it would not make a difference to their business (9%) were reported as the biggest barriers to entry.
“The landscape of the business broadband market has changed massively over the last five years, with many businesses now able to access fibre broadband. The speeds and quality of fibre broadband monumentally exceeds legacy copper networks; and most importantly fibre broadband for business is priced on a par with the cost of older technologies like copper or cable,” said Siro’s chief commercial officer Ronan Whelan.
“Despite this, a process of two-speed connectivity and digitisation is occurring amongst Irish business. Siro’s research shows that while larger businesses are making the switch to fibre broadband, smaller businesses are lagging behind, with knock-on impacts on digital adaption. As a nation of SMEs, employing two-thirds of our workers, with 91% of our businesses employing less than 10 employees, high quality fibre connectivity is a critical building block of digital transformation, yet businesses missing the opportunity to secure their future.”
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