Ireland's Gigabit Society is now within an arm's reach
Something that once felt like an elusive goal is now an imminent revolution.
Published 01/12/2018
A vision to strive for better. A vision that we, the people on a tiny island, can excel in the hyper-connected world of today and tomorrow. A vision that only settles for great, with the product bearing no expiry date. A vision that will initiate the death of a plague which has destroyed the vibrancy of our towns and villages, and a vision that will allow our country to undergo a transformation by breathing new life into every community, urban and rural, wealthy and poor. This vision involves the creation of a Gigabit Society in Ireland, a society where the boundaries of today are the laughing points of tomorrow.
The telecoms industry continues a relentless state of change, and this coincides with our shifting usage habits. Every modern invention is in some small way dependent on the Internet for its function, and this trend will stay with us indefinitely. It is for this precise reason that having access to the Internet is a fundamental right, and the criticality of broadband is, or at least will be, on par with that of electricity and water.
Think about the Internet of Things, a revolution in the making. Think about blockchain, a technology which will redefine the way we secure our most valuable data. Think about Augmented and Virtual Reality, two technologies which will literally change the way we perceive the world around us. This is an exciting era to live in, and what makes it so intriguing is that telecoms companies are the ones underpinning everything, from powering the cloud to facilitating your Netflix binging sessions.
This year, the reality that broadband access is a luxury in Ireland hit us hard, so much so that it now occupies the minds of our radio presenters, our journalists and our politicians on a near constant basis. However, through all the doom and gloom that has been cast over our rolling hills and green fields, there is a sliver of light that has managed to pierce the darkness and offer us a taste of hope. We are now on a course to creating a Gigabit Society in Ireland, and here's how we're doing it.
The telecoms industry continues a relentless state of change, and this coincides with our shifting usage habits. Every modern invention is in some small way dependent on the Internet for its function, and this trend will stay with us indefinitely. It is for this precise reason that having access to the Internet is a fundamental right, and the criticality of broadband is, or at least will be, on par with that of electricity and water.
Think about the Internet of Things, a revolution in the making. Think about blockchain, a technology which will redefine the way we secure our most valuable data. Think about Augmented and Virtual Reality, two technologies which will literally change the way we perceive the world around us. This is an exciting era to live in, and what makes it so intriguing is that telecoms companies are the ones underpinning everything, from powering the cloud to facilitating your Netflix binging sessions.
This year, the reality that broadband access is a luxury in Ireland hit us hard, so much so that it now occupies the minds of our radio presenters, our journalists and our politicians on a near constant basis. However, through all the doom and gloom that has been cast over our rolling hills and green fields, there is a sliver of light that has managed to pierce the darkness and offer us a taste of hope. We are now on a course to creating a Gigabit Society in Ireland, and here's how we're doing it.
Fibre takes Centre Stage
If you've been keeping an eye on my articles over the past while, you'll understand the role of fibre in our telecoms infrastructure is now a deeply intrinsic one. Without fibre, our Gigabit Society will be like a stream deprived of its water, the two are inseparable. I truly believe this is the first year that we are beginning to realise the requirement for a nationwide resilient fibre network in Ireland, a future-proof and flexible network which connects everything from our homes and businesses to radio sites and data centres.
The polarising issue which has brought this to light is, of course, the feeble National Broadband Plan. As a plan to blur the rural/urban digital divide and connect every building in Ireland with high-speed broadband, this plan ties in perfectly with the vision for a Gigabit Society. However, while there have been countless efforts to undermine the reputation of fibre for such a plan, other companies have steamed ahead with their own respective broadband deployments.
And, as private companies are answerable to their shareholders, splashing their cash on infrastructure which will be rendered obsolete within several years is a suicidal step. Just look at the situation in Ireland right now, the death of copper is well underway, and virtually every broadband rollout is putting fibre centre stage.
The most obvious example of this stark transition to fibre can be seen with the rollouts being performed by open eir and SIRO, two companies which are now committing to overseeing the demise of copper within their lifetime. As the incumbent broadband provider in Ireland, open eir was once a company that championed the prowess of its extensive copper network, and this is an example of the dramatic change which the broadband market is undergoing.
Being a wholesaler and pioneer of fibre broadband in Ireland, SIRO has done everything in its power to convey the message that fibre is better, and represents the future of connectivity. To you and I, this knowledge about the superiority of fibre over other solutions is very simple. But it doesn't come so easy to the general population, remember, this is a new technology, and just as there were stumbles in the early days of electrification, the situation is the very same now.
Vodafone and some of the other retailers which access SIRO's network are beginning to implement a major change in the way they advertise fibre broadband offerings, notably, flaunting the word "Gigabit" in as many places as possible. This is a very calculated step to differentiate FTTH offerings from alternatives such as FTTC, and a necessary one to educate people about the power of true fibre broadband.
The polarising issue which has brought this to light is, of course, the feeble National Broadband Plan. As a plan to blur the rural/urban digital divide and connect every building in Ireland with high-speed broadband, this plan ties in perfectly with the vision for a Gigabit Society. However, while there have been countless efforts to undermine the reputation of fibre for such a plan, other companies have steamed ahead with their own respective broadband deployments.
And, as private companies are answerable to their shareholders, splashing their cash on infrastructure which will be rendered obsolete within several years is a suicidal step. Just look at the situation in Ireland right now, the death of copper is well underway, and virtually every broadband rollout is putting fibre centre stage.
The most obvious example of this stark transition to fibre can be seen with the rollouts being performed by open eir and SIRO, two companies which are now committing to overseeing the demise of copper within their lifetime. As the incumbent broadband provider in Ireland, open eir was once a company that championed the prowess of its extensive copper network, and this is an example of the dramatic change which the broadband market is undergoing.
Being a wholesaler and pioneer of fibre broadband in Ireland, SIRO has done everything in its power to convey the message that fibre is better, and represents the future of connectivity. To you and I, this knowledge about the superiority of fibre over other solutions is very simple. But it doesn't come so easy to the general population, remember, this is a new technology, and just as there were stumbles in the early days of electrification, the situation is the very same now.
Vodafone and some of the other retailers which access SIRO's network are beginning to implement a major change in the way they advertise fibre broadband offerings, notably, flaunting the word "Gigabit" in as many places as possible. This is a very calculated step to differentiate FTTH offerings from alternatives such as FTTC, and a necessary one to educate people about the power of true fibre broadband.
open eir and SIRO lock their eyes on fibre
From the onset, SIRO has been fixated with the vision of lighting up entire communities with FTTH broadband, and the joint venture between Vodafone and the ESB is still the only wholesale broadband provider in Ireland to operate a 100% fibre-optic network. The company has passed over 200,000 homes with its network, predominately located in satellite and commuter towns that lacked capable fixed network infrastructure before its arrival. Upon completion of the first phase of the company's network build-out, SIRO will have brought gigabit broadband speeds to 500,000 homes in Ireland, representing a €450 investment.
Along the way, SIRO has established "Gigabit Hubs" in fifteen towns where their FTTH network is present to spur development in the local economy, and to feed into the Gigabit Society idea which Vodafone triumphs. And, unsurprisingly, the Gigabit Hub initiative is further proof that providing world-class connectivity can stimulate investment in peripheral regions, something which should appeal to the government's decentralisation project. Twenty-nine startups have sprouted up since the commencement of the initiative, a remarkable achievement in a short space of time.
As a wholesaler provider, SIRO sells its services to retailers such as Vodafone and Digiweb, acting as the conveyor belt for these resellers. The strategy which SIRO has implemented to deliver FTTH broadband, by running fibre alongside the ESB's electricity distribution network and also connecting with dark fibre providers where feasible, is very unique. This is a cost-effective method of designing and deploying a GPON and the company has received interest from the telecoms industry across the globe.
Open eir has embarked on its own quest to pass 300,000 homes in rural Ireland with FTTH broadband under the agreement it reached with the government, an agreement which cast the National Broadband Plan into doubt the second it was signed. The incumbent's network now covers over 200,000 homes in Ireland, a momentous breakthrough for those that can finally access a future-proof broadband connection under the scheme.
However, open eir's plans don't end there, with the company now committing to bringing an axe to FTTC offerings in urban areas, and finally planning to rock the monopolistic position which Virgin Media has found itself basking in for years with its superior DOCSIS 3.0 network. The company is kickstarting an ambitious €1 billion network upgrade plan which involves extending FTTH capability to an additional 1.4 million premises in Ireland over the next five years. This is huge for our country, and once again, signals the beginning of a Gigabit Society in Ireland.
Mind you, as open eir's plan focuses on urban deployment, it will have the consequential impact of exacerbating the rural/urban digital divide by a factor of at least two, something that only the National Broadband Plan and state intervention can address. I must stress that the deployments being carried at by private company should not, in any circumstance, act as a deterrent to state intervention.
Even after laying all these positives on one table, positives that finally address the absence of high-speed broadband in rural Ireland in some small way, positives that end the starvation of investment in rural communities and positives that will allow competition in the broadband market to flourish, some people have found only fault.
That fault centres around the belief that low-take up in the early stages of a new technology's deployment should constitute its abandonment. As I highlighted in another article dedicated to this issue, this ludicrous thinking that gets right in the way of progress. Yes, take-up of both open eir and SIRO's FTTH network hovers over 15%, but it will, without question, shoot up in the years to come. I want to make it crystal clear that the initial take-up rates of FTTH broadband should not dictate future investment, period.
Along the way, SIRO has established "Gigabit Hubs" in fifteen towns where their FTTH network is present to spur development in the local economy, and to feed into the Gigabit Society idea which Vodafone triumphs. And, unsurprisingly, the Gigabit Hub initiative is further proof that providing world-class connectivity can stimulate investment in peripheral regions, something which should appeal to the government's decentralisation project. Twenty-nine startups have sprouted up since the commencement of the initiative, a remarkable achievement in a short space of time.
As a wholesaler provider, SIRO sells its services to retailers such as Vodafone and Digiweb, acting as the conveyor belt for these resellers. The strategy which SIRO has implemented to deliver FTTH broadband, by running fibre alongside the ESB's electricity distribution network and also connecting with dark fibre providers where feasible, is very unique. This is a cost-effective method of designing and deploying a GPON and the company has received interest from the telecoms industry across the globe.
Open eir has embarked on its own quest to pass 300,000 homes in rural Ireland with FTTH broadband under the agreement it reached with the government, an agreement which cast the National Broadband Plan into doubt the second it was signed. The incumbent's network now covers over 200,000 homes in Ireland, a momentous breakthrough for those that can finally access a future-proof broadband connection under the scheme.
However, open eir's plans don't end there, with the company now committing to bringing an axe to FTTC offerings in urban areas, and finally planning to rock the monopolistic position which Virgin Media has found itself basking in for years with its superior DOCSIS 3.0 network. The company is kickstarting an ambitious €1 billion network upgrade plan which involves extending FTTH capability to an additional 1.4 million premises in Ireland over the next five years. This is huge for our country, and once again, signals the beginning of a Gigabit Society in Ireland.
Mind you, as open eir's plan focuses on urban deployment, it will have the consequential impact of exacerbating the rural/urban digital divide by a factor of at least two, something that only the National Broadband Plan and state intervention can address. I must stress that the deployments being carried at by private company should not, in any circumstance, act as a deterrent to state intervention.
Even after laying all these positives on one table, positives that finally address the absence of high-speed broadband in rural Ireland in some small way, positives that end the starvation of investment in rural communities and positives that will allow competition in the broadband market to flourish, some people have found only fault.
That fault centres around the belief that low-take up in the early stages of a new technology's deployment should constitute its abandonment. As I highlighted in another article dedicated to this issue, this ludicrous thinking that gets right in the way of progress. Yes, take-up of both open eir and SIRO's FTTH network hovers over 15%, but it will, without question, shoot up in the years to come. I want to make it crystal clear that the initial take-up rates of FTTH broadband should not dictate future investment, period.
Mobile Providers flaunt 5G
5G is coming, and its coming fast. The mobile industry is undeniably obsessed with the idea of 5G providing gigabit speeds through the air, and for good reason, this is a technology which will make autonomous vehicles and remote surgeries a reality, a technology which will fast-track the IoT revolution and a technology which will render today's bandwidth concerns about wireless broadband defunct.
The Gigabit Society intertwines with 5G in a similar way that fibre does, and once again, achieving breakthrough speeds with the technology won't be possible without fibre. As a country of hills, with houses dotted here there and pretty much everywhere, deploying a nationwide 5G network which can deliver the promised gigabit speeds will be a mammoth undertaking, and I think people have yet to wake up to the fact that achieving such speeds will require the use of high-frequency spectrum, spectrum which was previously shied away from due to its incredibly poor propagation characteristics.
ComReg has auctioned two bands for use with 5G in Ireland, and the watchdog is set to re-purpose the 700MHz band for use with mobile next year. On one end of the spectrum, literally and metaphorically, lies the 26GHz band which can be classified as mmWave territory. This spectrum offers extremely high capacity and low latency, but penetrating seemingly trivial objects such as leaves and windows is next to impossible without the use of advanced techniques, think beamforming.
At present, this 26GHz spectrum is reserved for microwave backhaul from radio sites, allowing mobile providers to deliver a good experience on the RAN without the need to deploy expensive fibre infrastructure to every radio site in Ireland. However, as we've seen in the case of the FCC with providers such as AT&T and Verizon, the likelihood that this spectrum will we opened up by ComReg to develop 5G services is very high.
Now, the chunk of spectrum which concerns us most as we move into the early stages of commercial 5G deployment is sub-6GHz spectrum, and in Ireland's case, the 3.6GHz band. ComReg has auctioned 350MHz of the 3.6GHz band, utilising a region by region allocation method that ensured no one provider secured more than 150MHz in a particular region.
But here's the question, what is actually being done to make use of this spectrum and, as a result, paving the way towards a Gigabit Society in Ireland supported by 5G?
The Gigabit Society intertwines with 5G in a similar way that fibre does, and once again, achieving breakthrough speeds with the technology won't be possible without fibre. As a country of hills, with houses dotted here there and pretty much everywhere, deploying a nationwide 5G network which can deliver the promised gigabit speeds will be a mammoth undertaking, and I think people have yet to wake up to the fact that achieving such speeds will require the use of high-frequency spectrum, spectrum which was previously shied away from due to its incredibly poor propagation characteristics.
ComReg has auctioned two bands for use with 5G in Ireland, and the watchdog is set to re-purpose the 700MHz band for use with mobile next year. On one end of the spectrum, literally and metaphorically, lies the 26GHz band which can be classified as mmWave territory. This spectrum offers extremely high capacity and low latency, but penetrating seemingly trivial objects such as leaves and windows is next to impossible without the use of advanced techniques, think beamforming.
At present, this 26GHz spectrum is reserved for microwave backhaul from radio sites, allowing mobile providers to deliver a good experience on the RAN without the need to deploy expensive fibre infrastructure to every radio site in Ireland. However, as we've seen in the case of the FCC with providers such as AT&T and Verizon, the likelihood that this spectrum will we opened up by ComReg to develop 5G services is very high.
Now, the chunk of spectrum which concerns us most as we move into the early stages of commercial 5G deployment is sub-6GHz spectrum, and in Ireland's case, the 3.6GHz band. ComReg has auctioned 350MHz of the 3.6GHz band, utilising a region by region allocation method that ensured no one provider secured more than 150MHz in a particular region.
But here's the question, what is actually being done to make use of this spectrum and, as a result, paving the way towards a Gigabit Society in Ireland supported by 5G?
Big Red grasps the 5G Limelight
Every mobile provider is desperate to capture the elusive limelight created in pioneering a 5G launch, and Vodafone managed to do exactly that with the first commercial trial of 5G in the 3.6GHz band in Dublin's Docklands. Putting the obvious lure of free press aside, Vodafone's 5G trial marks a big breakthrough in the road to 5G. To exhibit the true potential of 5G, Big Red performed the "first international holographic call" between Ireland and Germany. Holographic calling appears to be the go-to trick for mobile providers to display the power of their networks.
Here's a stunning figure for you: 2Gbps. Yep, that's the insane throughput achieved by Vodafone's 3.6GHz network during its commercial trial. Just a few years ago, breaching the 100Mbps mark on a wireless network seemed insurmountable, the pace of advancement is just phenomenal. This is a gigabit-class wireless network, a network which will be rolled out next year.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty details of this trial: Vodafone teamed up with Ericsson, the Swedish network vendor which has served as the company's RAN and core network partner for years now. The company's 3.6GHz use license has commenced in all spectrum blocks in Dublin and its suburbs, making Vodafone the only provider that can take full advantage of its sub-6GHz 5G portfolio in the capital today.
Nationally, Vodafone is working with Imagine to help the FWA provider vacate some of the 3.6GHz band. There are 241 service transitions areas in Imagine's portfolio, and 46 of these have been completed. These transition areas measure 20km in radii and are predominately located in rural locations. This transition plan will allow Vodafone to deploy pilot sites across the country, meaning we can expect to spot the use of the 3.6GHz band in the wild.
Here's a stunning figure for you: 2Gbps. Yep, that's the insane throughput achieved by Vodafone's 3.6GHz network during its commercial trial. Just a few years ago, breaching the 100Mbps mark on a wireless network seemed insurmountable, the pace of advancement is just phenomenal. This is a gigabit-class wireless network, a network which will be rolled out next year.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty details of this trial: Vodafone teamed up with Ericsson, the Swedish network vendor which has served as the company's RAN and core network partner for years now. The company's 3.6GHz use license has commenced in all spectrum blocks in Dublin and its suburbs, making Vodafone the only provider that can take full advantage of its sub-6GHz 5G portfolio in the capital today.
Nationally, Vodafone is working with Imagine to help the FWA provider vacate some of the 3.6GHz band. There are 241 service transitions areas in Imagine's portfolio, and 46 of these have been completed. These transition areas measure 20km in radii and are predominately located in rural locations. This transition plan will allow Vodafone to deploy pilot sites across the country, meaning we can expect to spot the use of the 3.6GHz band in the wild.
Three, the silent assassin, looks to 5G FWA
Over at Three, plans for its sub-6GHz 5G network have been kept tightly under wraps, and the company's seemingly endless swapping of network vendors is likely to give rise to some skeletons in the closet. The "all you can eat" provider has sided with Huawei for 5G and given the chop to Sammy, something that will raise the eyebrows of those who perceive Chinese spies to be a credible threat.
Putting security concerns aside, Huawei has already demonstrated a sizeable lead over competitors such as Ericsson and Nokia, with its Massive MIMO implementation winning praise as far as the eye can see. In Huawei, Three has partnered with a company that's not afraid to take risks, and that's refreshing to see in a stereotypically drab telecoms industry.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows, though, as Three's incorporation of Nokia, Samsung and Huawei in one network is far from ideal, leading to immense complexities that will inevitably translate to a degraded experience for customers. Three will need to manage handoff between at least two different core networks and also work to replace all of Samsung's existing 4G equipment with that from Huawei while keeping Nokia as the vendor for 3G.
With 100MHz of the 3.6GHz band nationally, something that the company has trumpeted, Three is positioning itself as becoming an alternative provider for broadband. But, if the company is reading this, please don't try and market "5G broadband" as an alternative to a fibre connection, because that's just ridiculous. Vodafone has already explicitly stated that it does not see 5G as a replacement for a fixed connection, and I would be pretty ticked off if Three doesn't do the same.
Putting security concerns aside, Huawei has already demonstrated a sizeable lead over competitors such as Ericsson and Nokia, with its Massive MIMO implementation winning praise as far as the eye can see. In Huawei, Three has partnered with a company that's not afraid to take risks, and that's refreshing to see in a stereotypically drab telecoms industry.
It's not all sunshine and rainbows, though, as Three's incorporation of Nokia, Samsung and Huawei in one network is far from ideal, leading to immense complexities that will inevitably translate to a degraded experience for customers. Three will need to manage handoff between at least two different core networks and also work to replace all of Samsung's existing 4G equipment with that from Huawei while keeping Nokia as the vendor for 3G.
With 100MHz of the 3.6GHz band nationally, something that the company has trumpeted, Three is positioning itself as becoming an alternative provider for broadband. But, if the company is reading this, please don't try and market "5G broadband" as an alternative to a fibre connection, because that's just ridiculous. Vodafone has already explicitly stated that it does not see 5G as a replacement for a fixed connection, and I would be pretty ticked off if Three doesn't do the same.
The Clouds clear at a Ballsy eir
Finally, we're left with eir, a company's whose mobile network is in a dire state at the moment. However, that's about to change, eir has announced a major network upgrade programme that will see its 4G coverage expand to cover 99% of the Irish population (not geographic landmass as was initially reported) within two years, a welcomed move which will radically enhance the mobile experience for customers across Ireland.
"We will be Ireland's telecoms champion", the ballsy claim ushered by eir's CEO, Carolan Lennon. This is a direct signal that competition is heating up in a once stagnant market, and as a company central to our telecoms infrastructure, there can be no competition without the direct involvement of eir in the matter. And, when competition is good, it creates an environment that drives company's to take risks, to be innovative and to think outside the box. Without a competitive marketplace, there can be no Gigabit Society in Ireland.
Nevertheless, focusing on 4G with tunnel vision is not a viable option in an industry advancing with rapid pace, and eir has announced its intentions to begin testing 5G FWA in the 3.6GHz band across four sites in Mayo and Meath. ComReg's data shows eir's 3.6GHz portfolio is reaching the final stages of liberalisation in all blocks of the spectrum at a number of regions, namely, the East and the Border, Midlands and West.
Similar to Three, eir is siding with Huawei for the company's 5G RAN. As a result, this means that the Chinese equipment vendor will control close to two-thirds of the Irish mobile market. In terms of spectrum or the serious lack thereof in eir's situation, the upcoming 700MHz auction and eventual liberalisation of the 2100MHz band will be key to ensuring that the provider can actually provide sufficient capacity for its growing customer base, something that just isn't the case at present.
"We will be Ireland's telecoms champion", the ballsy claim ushered by eir's CEO, Carolan Lennon. This is a direct signal that competition is heating up in a once stagnant market, and as a company central to our telecoms infrastructure, there can be no competition without the direct involvement of eir in the matter. And, when competition is good, it creates an environment that drives company's to take risks, to be innovative and to think outside the box. Without a competitive marketplace, there can be no Gigabit Society in Ireland.
Nevertheless, focusing on 4G with tunnel vision is not a viable option in an industry advancing with rapid pace, and eir has announced its intentions to begin testing 5G FWA in the 3.6GHz band across four sites in Mayo and Meath. ComReg's data shows eir's 3.6GHz portfolio is reaching the final stages of liberalisation in all blocks of the spectrum at a number of regions, namely, the East and the Border, Midlands and West.
Similar to Three, eir is siding with Huawei for the company's 5G RAN. As a result, this means that the Chinese equipment vendor will control close to two-thirds of the Irish mobile market. In terms of spectrum or the serious lack thereof in eir's situation, the upcoming 700MHz auction and eventual liberalisation of the 2100MHz band will be key to ensuring that the provider can actually provide sufficient capacity for its growing customer base, something that just isn't the case at present.
Conclusion: Copper is to fibre as 4G is to 5G
We are hurtling towards the creation of a Gigabit Society on our tiny island. There's no one company responsible for this advancement, it's a mesh of companies banding together to set in stone a motion that will terminate brain drain and end those cruel marathons which begin as a desperate search for a reliable broadband connection. Children, students and workers alike will be given the same opportunities across the land, making education and employment a better place, a place not determined by the quality of an individual's broadband access.
SIRO's work is outright amazing, marking the largest ever expansion of our nation's broadband infrastructure in decades. But, the magic extends beyond the light that shoots through the company's cables, and the Gigabit Hub initiative is a perfect demonstration of how providing world-class connectivity can, indeed, act as an incubator for growth by inspiring the injection of cash into communities left in the cold by our government.
open eir's FTTH network has transformed the lives of thousands of people in rural Ireland, and that trend is to continue as the company marches on with an ambitious investment plan. Expanding 4G coverage to 99% of the Irish population is a potent formula for greater competition in the Irish market, and with all eyes now watering at the potential of 5G, it won't be long before eir's quest to redefine its network, urban and rural, is complete.
Giving Huawei the thumbs up for 5G is an early indication of what's to come for Three, and the mobile provider's vast spectrum assets are lining up nicely for the creation of a gigabit-class network which blurs the divide between the 4G carrier aggregated services of today with the sub-6GHz and, ultimately, mmWave networks of tomorrow.
For those of you who don't see eye to eye with Big Red, now's the time to extend an olive branch. After all, Vodafone is the company which has openly championed the phrase "Gigabit Society", a vision that it sees itself playing an integral role in. Being the first to flaunt a 5G demonstration has Vodafone cruising into 2019 with a major technological achievement behind its back, and things are just getting started. As the mobile provider which built the best 4G network on our island within a short window of time, Vodafone's ability to do the same with 5G doesn't worry me, just its competitors.
Prepare for a tsunami of change. Something that once felt like an elusive goal is now an imminent revolution, get ready to be a member of Ireland's Gigabit Society.
SIRO's work is outright amazing, marking the largest ever expansion of our nation's broadband infrastructure in decades. But, the magic extends beyond the light that shoots through the company's cables, and the Gigabit Hub initiative is a perfect demonstration of how providing world-class connectivity can, indeed, act as an incubator for growth by inspiring the injection of cash into communities left in the cold by our government.
open eir's FTTH network has transformed the lives of thousands of people in rural Ireland, and that trend is to continue as the company marches on with an ambitious investment plan. Expanding 4G coverage to 99% of the Irish population is a potent formula for greater competition in the Irish market, and with all eyes now watering at the potential of 5G, it won't be long before eir's quest to redefine its network, urban and rural, is complete.
Giving Huawei the thumbs up for 5G is an early indication of what's to come for Three, and the mobile provider's vast spectrum assets are lining up nicely for the creation of a gigabit-class network which blurs the divide between the 4G carrier aggregated services of today with the sub-6GHz and, ultimately, mmWave networks of tomorrow.
For those of you who don't see eye to eye with Big Red, now's the time to extend an olive branch. After all, Vodafone is the company which has openly championed the phrase "Gigabit Society", a vision that it sees itself playing an integral role in. Being the first to flaunt a 5G demonstration has Vodafone cruising into 2019 with a major technological achievement behind its back, and things are just getting started. As the mobile provider which built the best 4G network on our island within a short window of time, Vodafone's ability to do the same with 5G doesn't worry me, just its competitors.
Prepare for a tsunami of change. Something that once felt like an elusive goal is now an imminent revolution, get ready to be a member of Ireland's Gigabit Society.
