Claremorris moved itself to the top of the technology chain this week when the town was unveiled as Ireland’s first fibre town Enet, Ireland’s open access network operator, is building Ireland’s first fibre town in Claremorris, through a €0.5m investment in broadband infrastructure which sees AirSpeed Telecom offering 250Mbs broadband connectivity to local businesses.
The project was launched by An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, and the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, in the McWilliam Park Hotel. The project will bring fibre directly into every business in Claremorris ensuring that all businesses can access superfast fibre broadband, as well as customary telephony services.
An Taoiseach said: “The Government's top priority is getting Ireland working again. Building super-fast broadband networks is essential for supporting the businesses and jobs of tomorrow. I firmly believe that recent developments in broadband investment will see Ireland catapulted to the top of international league tables for speed and bandwidth. Projects like enet fibredirect in Claremorris are crucial to this effort. They also play a really important role in supporting balanced regional development. That is why enet, AirSpeed, Claremorris Chamber, and Mayo County Council are to be congratulated for working together to deliver this really exciting scheme that sets an example for businesses and towns across Ireland.”
Minister Pat Rabbitte speaking at the launch said: “This is a very exciting and important day for everyone living and working in Claremorris. Enet’s decision to invest in the creation of a direct fibre link to each of the town’s businesses will provide the sort of industry-strength broadband, as evidenced by AirSpeed’s offering, that is essential if they are to grow and create jobs. I am pleased to hear that enet is considering the possibility of creating further fibredirect towns among other cities and towns with metropolitan area networks. This is the kind of infrastructure investment that Ireland needs to foster digital entrepreneurship and increase competitiveness.”
enet fibredirect is a genuine 100 per cent fibre service, with fibre optic cables being delivered directly into premises. Other so-called ‘fibre’ services connect to a local telecoms exchange or cabinet, but still rely on older copper networks to reach premises, resulting in a significant loss of performance. Bandwidth will be delivered directly into premises via enet fibredirect, meaning broadband speeds advertised will be guaranteed rather than the ‘up to’ claims made by service providers over copper networks. Construction of the new enet fibredirect network has commenced, and will be completed in August. Already more than 50 per cent of the local businesses have subscribed to services delivered over the network via AirSpeed Telecom.
