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Backhaul deal will boost Three’s existing national network speeds and is arriving just in time for 5G.
Fibre broadband player Enet has revealed that it has been selected to provide mobile operator Three Ireland with 1Tbps connectivity to 100 mobile high sites across Ireland.
Enet said that it has already completed work at 60 mobile high sites and is on track to complete a further 40 sites in 2019.
The project enables Three Ireland to access Enet’s backhaul infrastructure which comprises over 3,700km of fibre.
“As we continue our network upgrade nationally and expand our 2G, 3G and 4G networks, Enet’s high-speed connectivity enables us to both maximise the benefits of this investment for our customers, and make our network ready for future technologies,” said Declan Gaffney, head of Three’s radio access networks division.
Firing up the 5G engines
Reading between the lines, the infrastructure upgrade will also ideally position Three to deploy 5G services in the year ahead.
5G promises a 100-fold increase in network capacity compared to the current 4G networks.
Last year, Three Ireland CEO Robert Finnegan said that the company is planning to invest €100m a year on its 5G roll-out plan. In 2017, Three Ireland Hutchison Ltd was one of five firms to secure the first 5G spectrum licenses in Ireland, securing 100MHz nationally.
“As a wholesaler, Enet provides world-class connectivity and co-location services to retail service providers who use these services to provide tailored and core network solutions to customers – as is the case with the mobile backhaul that we’re providing Three Ireland with this roll-out,” said Cormac Ryan, sales director at Enet.
“We are delighted to supply Three Ireland with 1 terabit of connectivity for their network upgrade and expansion. Our open-access, high-capacity fibre infrastructure makes it easier and more cost-effective for our customers to deliver and support fast and reliable connectivity solutions to homes and businesses nationwide.
“It’s envisaged that 5G will support faster speeds and lower latency for consumers while also enabling the connectivity of a variety of devices beyond phones and computers to include internet of things devices,” Ryan added.
In December, Siliconrepublic.com reported that the Irish Infrastructure Fund (IIF) acquired 100pc of Enet after buying out the remaining stake held by Granahan McCourt. In January, the company appointed a new CEO and leadership team.
Enet is one of a number of firms providing services to the final bidding consortium for the National Broadband Plan, National Broadband Ireland, which is led by Granahan McCourt. Other firms supplying this consortium include Actavo, Nokia, Kelly Group and KN Group.
