Over 52,000 farms can now access high-speed fibre broadband
National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP), has confirmed that 52,675 farms can now access high-speed fibre broadband.
NBI said that 23,037 farms are already connected, more than double the number of farms connected just two years ago.
Almost 65,000 farms will be able to connect to high-speed fibre broadband when the rollout is completed later this year.
Broadband
NBI has passed almost 460,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland, with over 170,000 connected to high-speed broadband.
The company said that the average take-up rate of 37% is "well ahead of projections and international comparisons".
In some parts of the country where the network has been live for long, the take-up rate surpasses 60%.
As a wholesale network operator, NBI does not sell fibre broadband directly to end users, instead it enables services from a range of broadband providers or retail service providers (RSPs).
NBI is contracted for the management of the new national broadband network for at least the next 20 years.
Farms
TJ Malone, National Broadband Ireland chief executive officer (CEO), said that the National Broadband Plan is "transforming rural Ireland".
"The number of connected farms has more than doubled in just two years, reflecting the real and growing demand for reliable, high-speed connectivity in the agriculture sector.
"Farmers are leading adoption on our network, recognising the role broadband plays in improving productivity, enabling smarter farm management and supporting diversification.
"From herd management apps and precision machinery to robotic milking systems, connectivity is now essential infrastructure on the modern farm," he added.
Network
Malone said fibre broadband is enabling farms and rural homes to move away from legacy copper phone lines to a modern, future-proofed network.
"This shift brings greater reliability, significantly faster speeds and the capacity to support the growing digital demands of farm businesses and family life, both now and into the future.
“With our main infrastructure rollout set for completion later this year, NBI is entering the final phase of delivery.
"Our focus now is on ensuring every eligible farm connects and can fully benefit from the opportunities high-speed broadband provides.
"We’re encouraging all farmers to contact their broadband providers and get connected to the NBI network," he said.
