2Gbps Fibre Broadband in Kilkenny: Are These Speeds Enough?
Since last October, homes in Kilkenny became the first ones in Ireland to try the new 2Gbps broadband internet. The new network is at least twice as fast as the previous roll-outs, and soon enough, it should cover other 64 Irish towns. The 2Gbps internet is being ushered by SIRO, a joint venture between EBC and Vodafone. Will it be enough to make Irish customers happy?
Need For Speed
There’s no such a thing as “too fast internet”. More speed will always be welcome, and Irish customers have little to complain about in that sense. Back in 2014, download speeds for fixed broadband wouldn’t cross 14Mbps. Six years later, the speed more than six-folded: 93Mbps. Indeed, there has been a lot of investment in internet improvement lately.
SIRO’s ambition to bring 2Gbps broadband to 770,000 businesses and homes is expected to cost EUR 620 million. The effort counts on the support of the European Investment Bank and a pool of local and international lenders. These lenders are committed to expanding the necessary infrastructure for SIRO’s services.
A Digital Country
The past few years have put a lot of pressure on internet networks worldwide. The steep increase in users has created a demand for faster connections. After all, it’s nearly impossible to work, study, watch movies, or play your favourite games on NetBet, with a sluggish internet connection. Nowadays, better internet means more accessibility to public services. It’s also essential for academic and professional purposes.
The vice-president of the European Investment Bank, Christian Thomsen, believes that the rapid expansion of broadband internet is essential for harnessing the benefits of digitalisation. The institution is backing EUR 170 million for SIRO’s project.
This support couldn’t come on a better occasion since SIRO expects to supply demands for 10Gbps internet for Irish businesses. Such an improvement will only be possible by expanding the current infrastructure.
Comparisons
A 2Gbps internet represents quite an advancement for Irish customers. Still, it can hardly compare with other European countries. The United Kingdom ranks 36th on the list of countries with the fastest internet. Indeed, countries like Monaco and Denmark have at least eight times faster connections.
Even so, the new connection should soon be widespread in the country: 1GB of internet broadband took only three years to become the norm. According to SIRO’s Head of Product and Customer Analytics, Alex French, 2Gb broadband connections will follow the same path.
He also points out that this technology will be easily upgradable to 10Gb shortly. The upgrade can be done even remotely. Meanwhile, the industry is already laying the groundwork for speeds ranging between 20Gb and 50Gb.
Fast-Track
Irish customers now have considerably slower internet than other European users. Yet, this situation is about to change. The European Investment Bank, along with many private companies, are investing heavily in the expansion of the new network. Such expansion will lay the foundations for faster connections, more attuned with the rest of the continent.
