New broadband plan connections have been made on Tory Island.
This announcement comes from National Broadband Ireland, who say 118 homes and businesses across the island have been connected, taking the wider Donegal total to over 25,000.
They have also announced that works have been completed in rural areas across the county, including in Ardara, Dungloe, Bundoran and across the Inishowen Peninsula.
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(Release in Full)
National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the new future-proofed, high-speed Fibre-to-the-Home network under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) on behalf of the Government, has announced that Tory Island (Toraigh) has now been connected to high-speed fibre broadband as the broadband rollout to Donegal has now passed over 25,000 homes, farms and businesses in the county.
NBI’s connection of Tory Island means that 118 homes and businesses on the island can now access high-speed fibre broadband. Tory Island is Ireland’s most remote inhabited offshore island, located in the North Atlantic off the northwest coast of County Donegal, and forms part of the Donegal Gaeltacht.
The completion of works on Tory Island means that 25,033 premises that can now pre-order or order high-speed, reliable broadband across Donegal with 6,538 connections made to date. Works have also been completed in rural areas surrounding Ardara, Bundoran, Dungloe and across the Inishowen Peninsula.
National Broadband Ireland is encouraging all Donegal residents to visit nbi.ie and check their Eircode to see if they’re ready to connect and find out more about placing an order.
NBI’s fibre broadband rollout under the National Broadband Plan is delivering broadband services to what is known as the State’s Intervention Area, which includes the most remote and rural parts of Ireland where commercial operators have no plans to deliver high-speed broadband. The Intervention Area currently includes 34,000 premises in Donegal, which will see NBI deliver minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms, and schools across the county. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, County Donegal will receive €128m of Government investment under the National Broadband Plan.
As Ireland transitions away from legacy copper networks, NBI’s fibre network will ensure communities across Donegal are prepared for the future by supporting remote working, education, healthcare access and local enterprise while providing the reliability needed for everyday living.
TJ Malone, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: “We are delighted to announce that Tory Island has now been connected the NBI network™. This means that people living on Tory can access the same high-speed, reliable broadband connection as communities on the mainland. The delivery of high-speed broadband to the islands is having a transformative impact on what are some of the most remote communities in the country, supporting local businesses, enabling remote working and learning, and helping people live on the islands year-round.
“January is widely considered as the start of switcher season, with many broadband providers offering competitive pricing and switching incentives at this time of year. This makes it an ideal time for households and businesses across Donegal to move to fibre, particularly as fibre broadband could cost the same as slower copper services and customers can still keep their existing phone number when they switch. “As we enter the final year of the National Broadband Plan rollout, we’re encouraging everyone in Donegal to check their Eircode on nbi.ie and order now to secure high-speed fibre broadband for their home or business.”
National Rollout Progress
NBI has now passed over 443,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland to high-speed broadband with over 161,000 now connected. The average take-up rate of 36% is well ahead of projections and international comparisons and surpasses 60% in some areas of the country where the network has been live for 18 months.
The National Broadband Ireland website is regularly updated to show estimated completion dates. With the main rollout due to be concluded by the end of this year, the remaining homes and businesses yet to be passed will be able to place an order for high-speed broadband in the coming months. The easiest way to get updates on when a premises will be ready to order is by signing up for NBI email alerts at nbi.ie.
As fibre networks expand across Ireland, offering superior speed, capacity, and reliability, older copper telephone and broadband infrastructure will start to be decommissioned. The European Commission has proposed 2030 as the latest date for the decommissioning of legacy copper networks.
Choosing a Broadband Provider
As a wholesale network operator, NBI does not sell fibre broadband directly to end users, rather it enables services from a range of broadband providers or Retail Service Providers (RSPs). As a wholesale provider, NBI will make the new Fibre-to-the-Home network available to all RSPs operating in the Intervention Area.
Over 50 RSPs are available on the NBI network™ to provide connections as of today. To see all retail broadband providers that are currently on the NBI network™, visit nbi.ie.
Keep up to Speed!
NBI is encouraging people to check their eligibility and register for updates at nbi.ie to receive regular notifications related to their own premises as works progress in their are
