Bere Island Connected to High-Speed Fibre Broadband

All 317 homes and businesses on Bere Island can now access high-speed fibre broadband as part of the National Broadband Plan, with over 58,700 premises across Cork now able to connect to the network.

National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has completed the connection of Bere Island (An tOileán Mór) to its fibre network, bringing minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to the island community on the Beara Peninsula.

The completion of works on Bere Island means that 58,751 premises across Cork can now pre-order or order high-speed broadband, with 18,996 connections already made to date. Works have also been completed in rural areas surrounding Carrigaline, Templemartin, Midleton and across the Beara Peninsula.

Cork residents can visit nbi.ie and check their Eircode to see if they are ready to connect and find out more about placing an order.

The rollout forms part of the National Broadband Plan's State Intervention Area, which includes 83,000 premises in Cork. The county will receive €314 million of Government investment under the plan, described as the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification.

TJ Malone, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland:

"We are delighted to announce that Bere Island has now been connected to the NBI network. This means that people living on Bere Island can access the same high-speed, reliable broadband connection as communities on the mainland. The delivery of high-speed broadband to the islands is having a transformative impact on what are some of the most remote communities in the country, supporting local businesses, enabling remote working and learning, and helping people live on the islands year-round."

Mr Malone added that this is an ideal time for households and businesses to switch to fibre, with many broadband providers offering competitive pricing and switching incentives during what he called "switcher season". Fibre broadband could cost the same as copper services and allows customers to keep their existing phone number when they switch.

With the national switch-off of the copper network approaching, NBI's fibre network will ensure communities across Cork are prepared for the future by supporting remote working, education, healthcare access and local enterprise.

Nationally, NBI has now passed over 448,000 homes, farms and businesses in rural Ireland, with over 163,000 now connected. The average take-up rate of 36% is well ahead of projections and international comparisons, and surpasses 60% in areas where the network has been live for 18 months.

As a wholesale network operator, NBI does not sell fibre broadband directly to end users. Over 50 retail service providers are currently available on the NBI network. To see all retail broadband providers, visit nbi.ie.

For media enquiries, contact Lola Berni at Murray on 087 000 9199 or nbi@murraygroup.ie.