WWW.RURALBROADBAND.IE

Connecting Rural Communities to the Digital World

RURALBROADBAND.IE aims to provide high-speed internet to the underserved rural areas of Ireland. Read on to learn about its significance and impact on rural communities.

The internet has become an indispensable part of our lives, connecting people across the globe, facilitating communication, and providing access to information. However, not everyone has equal access to high-speed internet or fibre broadband, especially in rural areas. In Ireland, a significant proportion of the rural population faces poor or no connectivity. This digital divide has led to social and economic disparities, hindering the growth of rural communities.

To address this issue, the Irish government launched the National Broadband Plan (NBP) in 2012, aiming to provide high-speed internet to all households and businesses in the country, regardless of their location. The Rural Broadband Ireland initiative is part of this plan and has a significant role in bridging the digital divide in rural areas.

Importance of Rural Broadband Ireland for Rural Communities:

In today's digital age, high-speed internet has become essential for education, healthcare, business, and daily life. However, rural communities in Ireland have been left behind due to inadequate broadband infrastructure. Rural Broadband Ireland aims to connect these communities to the digital world, providing access to high-speed internet and fibre broadband, enabling remote work, online learning, telemedicine, and e-commerce.

Challenges in Providing Fibre Broadband to Rural Areas:

Providing broadband in rural areas presents various challenges, such as the cost of infrastructure development, low population density, and difficult terrain. It requires a significant investment of time and resources to lay fiber-optic cables or install wireless networks to reach remote areas. Moreover, the dispersed nature of rural communities makes it challenging to achieve economies of scale, making the provision of fibre broadband economically unfeasible for private operators.

How Rural Broadband.ie Works:

Rural Broadband.ie is a state-led initiative that aims to provide high-speed internet and fibre broadband to the underserved rural areas of Ireland. The initiative is funded by the government and is managed by National Broadband Ireland (NBI), a private company contracted by the government to deliver the project. NBI is responsible for designing, building, and operating the broadband network, connecting over 540,000 homes, farms, schools, and businesses across the country.

The network infrastructure includes a combination of fiber-optic cables and wireless networks to reach the most remote areas. The broadband speed offered is up to 10 gigabytes, which is significantly higher than the average speed of 76 Mbps available in urban areas.

We are part of the National Broadband Rollout Plan (NBP) providing rural broadband in Ireland. When the NBP FIBRE comes to your area we can swap your home over if needed.