Works complete for high-speed internet in Laois

Infrastructure works to deliver high-speed internet in County Laois under the National Broadband Plan are now complete, National Broadband Ireland (NBI) announced on Monday.

Laois is the latest county to reach this stage of the National Broadband Plan rollout, following recent county completion milestones in Kilkenny, Longford, Tipperary, Meath, Westmeath, Waterford and Monaghan. The national programme is now in its final phase of delivery.

The completed works in County Laois cost the government €49 million. The project involved a survey of existing infrastructure, followed by the construction of poles and underground ducts. Fibre-optic cables were then laid to facilitate minimum internet speeds of 500 megabits per second.

To mark the event, Laois County Council hosted a reception at Vicarstown Community Centre featuring addresses from An Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council Catherine Fitzgerald, Chief Executive Officer of National Broadband Ireland TJ Malone, and Chief Executive of Laois County Council Michael Rainey.

Speaking at the event, Mr Rainey said: “The benefits of this investment will be felt across Laois for generations to come. High-speed broadband is now as essential as any other utility, enabling people to access education, healthcare, public services and employment opportunities regardless of where they live. It will support business growth, strengthen rural development, enable innovation and help ensure Laois remains an attractive place to live, work, and invest.”

The National Broadband Plan is a government initiative to supply the entire country with high-speed internet connection. The government first published the Plan in 2012 and signed a contract with NBI in 2019 to build and operate the broadband network.

While private network operators had already established fibre-optic networks in densely-populated areas, the National Broadband Plan sought to expand high-speed coverage to the parts of Ireland where it was not commercially-viable for private operators to deliver the service. These regions form the so-called ‘State’s Intervention Area’.

Over 13,000 premises in County Laois – including homes, businesses, farms and schools – are included in the State’s Intervention Area and are now eligible to connect to the NBI network. 5,506 Laois premises are already connected.

NBI is a wholesale network operator, which means Laois residents must purchase broadband from a broadband provider to access the NBI network. An NBI spokesperson explained that the NBI network is “like a motorway, and your broadband provider is your car.” Over 50 broadband providers – including Sky, Vodafone and Imagine – currently sell on the NBI network.

The NBI spokesperson advised that, to connect to the NBI network, the first step is to visit the NBI website, where you can identify whether your eircode is in the State’s Intervention Area. It is generally rural eircodes, which would not have been serviced previously by private networks, that fall within the State’s Intervention Area. If your eircode is within the Area, you must then contact your service provider and ask to switch to high-speed internet. NBI advises to shop around providers and compare rates and packages.

The National Broadband Plan also establishes Broadband Connection Points (BCPs), sites that provide free public access to reliable broadband for online learning, remote working, digital services, and community events and activities. There are currently 955 BCPs across the country in schools and public locations like sports clubs, community centres, and tourist sites.

The NBI spokesperson stated that the National Broadband Plan is “the largest project in rural Ireland since rural electrification”. The main build of the network is on track for completion by the end of this year.

Commenting on the completion of the works in Laois, Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan said: “Laois is a dynamic county with deep roots in agriculture, a growing enterprise base and a strong sense of community. The completion of the main National Broadband Plan infrastructure rollout ensures that communities across the county can now compete, connect, and grow on a level playing field with every region across the country.”

He continued that the rollout “is transforming the prospects of County Laois by giving homes, farms, and businesses access to the digital infrastructure they need for the future. It is another important step in delivering on our commitment that every community can participate fully in our digital society and economy.”