KN Circet deputy CEO Donagh Kelly and Eir CEO Carolan Lennon with technicians from KN Circet and Eir. Image: Chris Bellew/Fennell Photography
Up to 1,000 jobs will be supported in the design and build of Eir’s new fibre network.
Incumbent telecoms operator Eir has revealed the next step in the development of its €500m fixed broadband investment by selecting KN Circet to build the optical distribution network (ODN).
KN Circet will be responsible for the end-to-end roll-out of the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network, including every town in Ireland with more than 1,000 premises.
‘KN Circet has been a major contractor on the roll-out of Eir’s rural FTTH network, which by June of this year will have passed over 335,000 premises’
– CAROLAN LENNON
Between KN and Eir, this major project will support up to 1,000 jobs in design and network construction across Ireland.
The future for a digital Ireland
“I am delighted to partner with KN Circet on the roll-out of Eir’s urban FTTH network, as part of our €1bn capital investment programme over the next five years,” said Eir CEO Carolan Lennon.
“KN Circet has been a major partner to Eir for over 12 years, and in that time we have developed a close working relationship. It has been a major contractor on the roll-out of Eir’s rural FTTH network, which by June of this year will have passed over 335,000 premises. With the signing of this agreement, I’m confident that together we will successfully deliver Ireland’s best urban FTTH network for the benefit of all our customers,” Lennon said.
In February Eir revealed details of its major €500m FTTH investment that will cover 1.4m premises across Ireland.
The new network – which will be future-proofed for speeds of up to 10Gbps – will come hot on the heels of Eir’s FTTH roll-out in rural Ireland this June, covering 335,000 premises as part of a €250m investment by the company.
“KN Circet has been a leading provider to the telecommunications, transport infrastructure and power sectors in Ireland, the UK and internationally since 1975,” explained KN Circet’s deputy CEO, Donagh Kelly. “We have worked closely with Eir for many years and I’m delighted that we will now partner with them on the urban FTTH roll-out, especially given our recent merger with Circet, France’s leading telecommunications services company, which gives us even greater scope to provide best-in-class services to the telecoms industry in Ireland.”
