€53m National Broadband Plan rollout reaches finish line in Kildare
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) rollout for County Kildare , which has cost €53 million, has officially been completed.
National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, and Kildare County Council (KCC) made the joint announcement today.
The update follows after the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan TD (Fine Gael), said earlier this month that September will see county completion milestones achieved in Kildare, as well as in Monaghan, Laois, Leitrim, Sligo and Offaly.
According to NBI, Kildare has now become the eleventh county to reach this milestone, as the nationwide deployment moves into its final phase ahead of completion later this year.
To mark this achievement, KCC hosted a reception at the Council Chambers in Áras Chill Dara, which featured addresses from councillor Tim Durkan (Fine Gael), Cathaoirleach / Mayor of the County of Kildare, Tom McCormack of the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport, and TJ Malone, the Chief Executive Officer of NBI.
Speaking about the latest development, Mayor Durkan said: “The completion of the main NBP rollout in Kildare is a very positive milestone for the county and, most importantly, for the communities that will benefit from improved access to high-speed broadband.
“Good connectivity makes a real difference to everyday life, whether that is giving people greater flexibility to work from home, helping students to learn, supporting farms and local businesses or simply making it easier for people to stay connected,” he added. “I want to acknowledge the considerable work that has gone into reaching this point and thank everyone involved in delivering the rollout, including the Department, NBI and the teams within KCC who have supported the project locally.”
Mayor Durkan concluded: “It is an important achievement, and one that will benefit communities across Kildare for many years to come.”
Furthermore Sonya Kavanagh of KCC said: “Kildare is a growing county, and it is important that the infrastructure supporting that growth keeps pace with the needs of our communities and our economy.
She also asserted: “The completion of the main National Broadband Plan rollout is an important milestone for Kildare, and the new fibre infrastructure delivered by NBI has given rural communities across the county access to the kind of connectivity that is now essential to modern life and business.”
Moreover, Ms Kavanagh said: “We have already seen how improved connectivity supports people to work from home, helps businesses to operate and grow, and makes it easier for communities to access services and opportunities; bringing the main rollout to completion now means those benefits can be felt more widely across the county, while strengthening Kildare’s position as a connected and attractive place to live, work, invest and do business.”
Across Ireland, over 549,000 premises can now order broadband on the NBI network.
Residents and businesses in NBI’s rollout area who are interested in securing broadband can check their Eircode on the NBI website to confirm availability. They can also view the list of broadband providers offering services over the network, and place an order directly with their preferred provider.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.