Over 58,400 homes and businesses in County Tipperary now have access to high speed broadband

58,486 homes and businesses across Co. Tipperary now have access to Imagine’s 5G Fixed Broadband service as the company continues the expansion of its network across regional and  rural Ireland. This includes 22,768 premises designated as ‘Amber’ or having inadequate access to high speed, high capacity broadband, under the National Broadband Plan (NBP).

Imagine is announcing the acceleration of the rollout of its network across regional and rural Ireland to meet the shift in demand and usage driven by changing working and living patterns which have been an impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The increasing numbers of people online is driving a significant increase in average internet data usage and while Next Generation Imagine 5G Fixed, Full Fibre Cable customers are benefitting from significantly higher usage, the majority of customers outside of the main cities, still dependent on legacy copper and mobile broadband, have been left struggling. 

County Tipperary homes and businesses will be served from 33 mast locations with one additional Imagine sites coming on stream shortly in Tipperary. The company will continue to extend coverage and address local broadband blackspots working closely with stakeholders including local enterprises, broadband officers, elected representatives and community organisations to identify areas of specific need. Homes and businesses can check if they are within coverage online at www.imagine.ie simply by checking their eircode. 

According to Imagine over 40,000 customers are already using its service across rural Ireland with an additional 55,000 having applied for the service driving the acceleration of the rollout of the network.

Commenting, the Minister for Rural Development Heather Humphries TD said “I am delighted with Imagines’ plans for rolling out high-speed broadband across rural Ireland. Now more than ever, broadband is an essential service that families, farms and business cannot afford to live without. From speaking with my constituents, I understand Imagine’s service to be robust, reliable and most importantly, fast.”

Commenting Sean Bolger, CEO of Imagine, said; 

“With homes and businesses across regional and rural Ireland struggling with poor broadband access to Next Generation, high speed, broadband is now essential to enable enhanced remote working, a better quality of life and the rejuvenation of rural communities.”

“The  recent ‘National Remote Working Survey’* revealed that 95% of employees favour continued remote working and with businesses, farms, schools and families across the country struggling to access basic on-line services,  without access to high-speed broadband, we are unlikely to be able attract people to rural areas looking for a better quality of life. 

Digital and remote working hubs are welcome additions as workspaces and centres which will facilitate collaborative working, however they are no substitute to high-speed  high-capacity broadband connectivity to businesses and homes” Sean Bolger concluded.

Simon Howe, Broadband Officer, Tipperary Co. Council commented;

“The high-speed connectivity being delivered by Imagine’s Community Engagement Team enables remote-working and learning, eCommerce, digital public service delivery, as well as providing everyday and critical communications”