National Broadband Ireland welcomed Minister Ossian Smyth to their stand at the National Ploughing Championships today as the company announced that its rollout of the National Broadband Plan has surpassed 80,000 premises passed, including over 7,000 farms.
The NBI Chairman and Board welcomed Minister Smyth and Carlow farmer John Monahan, who illustrated the benefits experienced by his connection to NBI’s high-speed fibre network.
Minister Ossian Smyth said: “I am delighted to be here at the Ploughing Championships where a vast array of new agri-tech innovations are on display. Access to the high-speed network will enable Irish farmers to take advantage of these developments to improve their productivity and profitability. The NBP represents an overall investment of up to €2.7 billion in rural Ireland and is all about bridging the digital divide and providing opportunities for all.”
David McCourt, Chairman, National Broadband Ireland said: “With 80,000 premises now passed, I am very confident the NBP rollout is showing real momentum. Ultimately, we will connect 560,000 homes, farms, businesses and schools or over 1.1 million people. Our commitment is to decentralise opportunity and ensure rural Ireland is not left behind as the limitless possibilities created by becoming one of the most connected countries in Europe are beginning to be realised.”
Peter Hendrick, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland, said: “NBI is already seeing the game-changing impact high-speed fibre broadband is making to farms which have already connected, making day-to-day administration much easier and opening up access to new technology and innovations. The rollout has now passed 80,000 premises and 7,185 of these are farms. I would encourage all farmers to check out if they could be accessing minimum speeds of 500MBps by visiting the NBI website nbi.ie and considering signing up with one of our 56 retail partners.”
Carlow farmer, John Monahan said: “A reliable high-speed broadband connection is an absolute essential for Ireland’s farming community. To be based in rural County Carlow and able to connect to next generation fibre broadband has brought huge benefits. I can store my grain safely for longer because I have been able to install high-tech temperature sensors in the grain store which are linked to weather reports and trigger fans when needed. All the agricultural forms I need to submit are now online as well and having a high-speed broadband connection has made my life so much easier.”
