Enet investing €500,000 in Newbridge broadband network

17 Nov 2017

From left: Niall Morrissey, director of services for Kildare County Council, with Conal Henry, Enet CEO. Image: Heneghan PR

A new metro fibre network will enable Kildare to enjoy speedy broadband.

Access to good-quality broadband is a must for business and education to flourish, and now another Irish town will reap the benefits.

Yesterday (16 November), open-access network operator Enet announced a €500,000 investment for the construction of a new fibre network in Newbridge, Co Kildare.

Duct, sub-duct and fibre optic cables have been installed across the town, connecting major commercial and industrial zones as well as educational facilities. Construction work will come to an end in the next few weeks, but a number of sites are already activated and receiving fibre broadband.

Several businesses have expressed interest in connecting to the network via their chosen service provider. Currently, Enet’s open-access model is used by more than 70 different service providers on a national basis.

A step forward for Newbridge

Niall Morrissey, director of services at Kildare County Council, said: “I welcome this announcement and wish to commend Enet for bringing this project to fruition, as it’s a vital step forward for Newbridge.

“The construction of new fibre broadband infrastructure is an important development for improving business innovation, streamlining services and educating our young students.”

Enet CEO Conal Henry said: “County Kildare was the only county in Ireland not to benefit from a State-funded metropolitan area network (MAN), so Enet is pleased to announce that we have privately funded a new fibre network in Newbridge.”

He expressed his belief that Newbridge would benefit greatly from the network. “Our considerable experience in managing telecom infrastructure has shown that the existence of fibre networks has a major impact on boosting the range, quality and competitiveness of communications solutions for businesses in the area.”

Henry added: “I also want to thank Kildare County Council for their support for this project. They acutely understood the project benefits, and worked with us in the spirit of partnership to make it a reality.”

Ellen Tannam was a journalist with Silicon Republic, covering all manner of business and tech subjects

editorial@siliconrepublic.com