Irish Broadband looks north for network growth


2 Oct 2003

Fledgling wireless broadband carrier Irish Broadband has revealed plans to expand its network to include Derry in the coming months, on top of existing plans to roll out to other key cities around the country.

The company claims to be the first provider to introduce guaranteed broadband connection speeds in Ireland over wireless leased lines as an alternative option to DSL. As part of an integration partnership with Siemens, the company’s fixed wireless broadband network has been built using Alvarion’s BreezeAccess equipment and operates throughout Dublin on the licence-free 2.4GHz band.

The company has also revealed that as part of its partnership with Siemens and Alvarion, it has upgraded its existing Dublin infrastructure to a new 5.7GHz network, which expands the company’s capacity and reach.

According to Irish Broadband managing director Paul Doody, the new network is more flexible than DSL as consumers and businesses do not need to be within a few kilometres of an exchange.

Doody said: “Our fixed wireless network has exceeded the expectations of both ourselves and our customers. The ability to install base stations where demand is highest has enabled us to grow rapidly, whilst keeping our costs low. With the expansion of our network and the use of the latest technology – 5.7GHz networks – we will be able to meet the soaring demand for broadband services in Ireland,” he said.

Irish Broadband is a wholly-owned subsidiary of National Toll Roads (NTR). Over the past number of years NTR has been working steadily in building up alternative public infrastructure businesses where it sees deficiencies in what is on offer to the Irish public. It achieves this through partaking in public private partnerships and is a major investor in operations such as Celtic Waste and Eirtricity.

In recent weeks siliconrepublic.com learned that Irish Broadband was in discussions with Bord Gais, ESB and Chorus about establishing base stations on their premises around the country.

By John Kennedy