Farm take up exceeds national average as sector leads digital transformation of rural Ireland with over 26,000 already connected
National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP), has announced that 59,137 farms in the rollout area can now access high-speed fibre broadband, with 26,247 already connected.
This milestone comes after NBI recently announced it had passed nearly 524,000 premises in its rollout of the National Broadband Plan. To date, almost 190,000 premises across the country have connected to the NBI™ Network.
The take-up rate amongst farms stands at 44%, significantly higher than the national average of 36%, demonstrating the appetite that farms and farming families have for high-speed internet connectivity. In total, some 65,000 farms will be able to connect to fibre broadband when the infrastructure rollout is completed at the end of the year, ending Ireland’s rural-urban digital divide.
David McCourt, Chairman of National Broadband Ireland, said: “Connecting rural Ireland was never simply about broadband. It was about creating opportunity, supporting economic growth, and ensuring that geography no longer determines access to education, healthcare, business opportunities or innovation.”
“The fact that more than 26,000 farms are already connected to the NBI network is a powerful illustration of how transformational connectivity can be for families, farms and communities across the country. As we near completion of this historic infrastructure project, we can see the lasting legacy the National Broadband Plan will leave for future generations.”
TJ Malone, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: “Farmers and farm families are embracing fibre broadband faster than any other group, and that speaks volumes about how central digital tools have become to modern agriculture.”
“From herd management apps, precision machinery, to running diversified farm businesses; high-speed broadband is unlocking opportunities that were unthinkable just a few years ago. With the main NBP infrastructure rollout set for completion by the end of this year, we are in the final stages of delivering a future-proofed network that will serve generations of rural families and businesses. We’re encouraging all farms to contact their broadband providers and get connected to the NBI network.”
As a wholesale network operator, NBI does not sell fibre broadband directly to end users, rather it enables services from a range of broadband providers. With more than 50 broadband providers actively selling on NBI’s open-access network, rural communities now have access to the same level of competition and choice as those in urban areas. Customers can select from a wide range of internet providers, with competitive pricing and bundled packages available nationwide.
The National Broadband Ireland website, nbi.ie, is regularly updated to show estimated timeframes allowing everyone to gauge when their area will be ready for service. Signing up to the NBI email notifications is the easiest way to get the most up-to-date status of premises (Eircodes) during the rollout and when premises will be ready for order.
