Technology Focus

Unleashing the Enterprising Potential

of Rural Ireland Peter Hendrick, CEO of National Broadband Ireland (NBI)

After work Caitriona drives to the marina, casts off and goes cruising in her boat down one of the world’s most beautiful waterways – the Shannon. Is she a teacher, hotelier or farmer? No, she’s a highly skilled software developer working for a tech business in Carrick-on-Shannon. From the supposed depths of County Leitrim, the tech business Caitriona works for has become a world leader in its market, serving huge organisations globally. What many might perceive as a major drawback – being based in rural Ireland – has been turned into a huge advantage for many businesses, creating fantastic employment opportunities in areas of great natural beauty. It means bold, outward-looking companies can attract and retain staff who want exciting career progression and great quality of life outside the hustle of Dublin and other European cities. To stand any chance of starting, growing and sustaining a business in rural Ireland with intentions to trade globally, superfast connectivity is imperative to keep winning work against competition.

“We’re living in an ‘always-on’, digital world, where 24-7 connectivity is a necessity.”

This isn’t just the case for small businesses with grand plans for international trade. Our local coffee shops and independents increasingly rely on connectivity to run their business, with everything from payments to managing supply chains done online. For employees who increasingly expect to work remotely, home connectivity has to be able to stand up to growing demands if businesses can truly compete in rural Ireland. If your home broadband is down to 1.5Mbps because half the population has gone online to watch Netflix or shop on Amazon in the evening, it’s not going to be fit for the modernday applications we’ve all grown to rely on. Cynics may argue that tech companies like the one that Caitriona works for should be in Dublin where all the skilled people are. Nonsense. In the last decade, more than 300,000 graduates within a 50-mile radius of Carrick-on-Shannon have qualified with university-level degrees and they need jobs. With low property prices, easy commutes, schools with small class sizes and the ability to work from home, businesses in rural Ireland can compete with any city-based corporation for their talents. Many are keen to return home after stints working in financial and IT centres including Dublin, London and other major metropolitan centres. FDIs or native entrepreneurs who want to bring jobgenerating, cutting-edge businesses to rural areas need advanced fibre connectivity in their offices and homes. Without it, the promised blossoming of well-paid tech jobs beyond the business parks of Dublin, Cork and Galway will wither. At National Broadband Ireland, we believe the future is limitless for businesses in rural Ireland once they and their employees are connected to high-speed broadband. As we all search to establish what the ‘new norm’ might be post COVID-19, one thing is for certain, that connectivity is going to empower our future lives and unleash Ireland’s enterprising potential. Visit www.nbi.ie to find out if your business or home is included in the National Broadband Plan and register for updates specific to your Eircode.

Peter Hendrick, CEO, NBI

How will the National Broadband Plan empower your workforce?

The NBI™ network is Ireland’s new high-speed fibre broadband network, being rolled out as part of the Government’s National Broadband Plan. The NBI™ network will deliver initial speeds of 500Mb and 1Gb for business and residential users and is future-proofed, so as your data needs grow, our speeds will too. We believe equal access to better broadband will empower every person, every community and every organisation in Ireland to achieve more, both locally and globally.

For updates on the rollout sign up using your Eircode at nbi.ie