Kilkenny becomes first county fully connected under National Broadband Plan

Kilkenny has become the first county in Ireland to be fully connected under the National Broadband Plan, a milestone announced by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan. The rollout will see 19,000 premises linked through high‑speed fibre broadband at an investment of €72 million, a development described as transformative for rural communities across the country.

The announcement comes amid wider progress on the NBP, with almost 157,000 homes, farms and businesses now connected to fibre. National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the plan, reports that build works have reached 80 per cent of all premises in its intervention area and that it is on track for completion by the end of next year. The State Intervention Area covers over 564,000 premises and more than 1.1 million people, including any new homes built in the region over the next two decades.

NBI has said the overall project will cost around €4.4 billion over a 25‑year period, with the Government contributing between €2.1 and €2.6 billion within a capped subsidy envelope of €2.6 billion set in 2019. Despite inflationary pressures, NBI claims it has limited cost growth on the project to about eight per cent.

Minister O’Donovan highlighted how high‑speed fibre is “transforming daily life across rural Ireland”, enabling families to access education and healthcare remotely, supporting small businesses and allowing more people to work locally. The 19,000 premises cover residential homes, farms and small businesses spread across Kilkenny’s towns and rural hinterland. Residents will gain faster internet speeds for remote work, online learning and telehealth services. The investment is part of the NBP’s broader objective to deliver high‑speed broadband to all households, farms and businesses in areas where private providers have not committed to invest. By connecting every corner of Kilkenny, the rollout aims to reduce digital inequality and support local economic growth.

For more details see the Minister’s announcement and NBI reports.

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