Eye on Infrastructure
Our broadband network has never been more vital
Garret Kavanagh talks about his new job as director of Openreach Northern Ireland (NI). With demand for online services continuing to increase, he says “the role of Openreach in keeping people connected has never been more important.”
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n his new role as director of Openreach NI, Garret Kavanagh is in charge of building the next generation of broadband across Northern Ireland. This involves replacing
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the copper network, which has served Northern Ireland’s telephone and internet needs for more than 140 years, with a fast and reliable gigabit-capable network that is already playing
a key role in accelerating the region’s digital economy. The ambitious roll out programme aims to bring Full Fibre broadband to 700,000 homes by March 2022, equating to over 75% of properties across Northern Ireland. This Ultrafast Full Fibre technology will mean people can enjoy broadband that’s 10 times faster than the UK average – that’s the same as a car with a top speed of 120mph suddenly reaching speeds of 1200mph.
Garret, who joined the company as a graduate engineer in 2006, took up the job as director earlier this year, replacing Mairead Meyer who stepped down after five years in the role. “The digital future of Northern Ireland is extremely positive,” Garret says. “We’re already the most connected region in the UK and have recently announced 17 further towns and villages that we will be building Ultrafast Full Fibre broadband to, as well as an additional £30
