Major project sees 16,000 more connected to highspeed fibre
National Broadband Ireland have completed their rollout of fibre across Waterford, connecting an additional 15,500 homes. The project has been finished on time and on budget.
Waterford becomes the sixth county to complete the national broadband roll out, following recent completions in Kilkenny, Longford, Tipperary, Meath and Westmeath.
The project required €59 million of government investment, the laying of over 1,718 kilometres of fibre, the approval of 734 road opening licences, the erection of 42 poles across the county, and fulfilment of 27 Section 254 applications, which, Nicole Berkery, Principal Officer in the Digital Connectivity Office, joked are serious administrative undertakings.
“We’ve come a long way since the dark days of COVID when we hired 250 people remotely,” said Joe Lavin, NBI’s Chief Commercial Officer. “When we started, we were automatically behind. There was a lot of pressure because everybody needed broadband and it was available in the cities,” he told guests at Waterford City and County Council’s National Broadband Plan Close-Out Event held in Mount Congreve last Friday.
“What we are seeing now is, 16,000 farms, businesses, households, and families can now access highspeed broadband. That’s equity in relation to other people have broadband in the cities and have done for some time.
“At the time it did not look like it was going to be on time, but here we are.”
Mr Lavin explained that 100% connectivity is a 25 year project. They have now completed the ‘build phase’ and have created long-term infrastructure that will last Waterford long into the future.
The NBI rollout was compared to the electrification of Ireland in the 40s and 50s as modern technologies will completely change the lives of those in rural areas and align their quality of life with that of urban areas.
In emphasising how meaningful this is, Joe Lavin, shared an insightful story. Mr Lavin explained that when he was having construction work done at his home, a trench dug by the workers went straight through the broadband connection.
He arrived home to find a distraught wife and two children who could not envision the next 3 days with no internet connectivity.
In their distress the family failed to notice that the water was also disconnected.
This anecdote drew a laugh from the crowd and served as a good example of how essential connectivity has become to modern life.
There was also a panel discussion involving Mary Conway Head Librarian in Waterford Libraries, Chelsey Walsh Digital Marketing Manager at George Corbett Motors, and Mark Rohan, Waterford native, COO and co-founder of Klearcom.
In a conversation facilitated by Dymphna Nugent, WLR FM, each of the participants explained how high speed connection is essential to their everyday work.
Mary Conway laid out how digital access has transformed the role and services of libraries across Waterford, which she says have an objective to “democratising information and the access to information”.
Chelsey Walsh outlined how the customer experience cycle in George Corbett Motors has completely changed, with customers now arriving much more informed, physical attendance at their showrooms is now often the last step of the buying process, rather than the first.
Mark Rohan gave an interesting account of starting a major tech company in Waterford. He and his co-founders have grown to operate Klearcom in over 100 countries and with the biggest brands across the world. Without a professional standard fibre-connection in Waterford his company would not be able to operate at the highest level internationally.
Speaking at the event, Mayor Liam Brazil, said this was exactly the kind of story he wanted for to highlight for Waterford, a positive news story that means people in rural areas can now live and work a modern life with confidence.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
AARON KENT
