Broadband gaff by vodafone in cavan

One of Ireland’s leading communications providers is investigating attempts made to sell their new proposed high-speed fibre broadband in rural areas, when in fact the only place to receive the is the Cavan Town urban area.

Earlier this year and, amid much fanfare, Cavan Town was named among the first 'launch towns’ for ESB and Vodafone’s 100 per cent 'Fibre-to-the-Building’ network.
Branded as Siro, the €450 million joint-venture promised broadband speeds rivalling some of the most advanced cities in the world.
However, it has emerged Vodafone Ireland sales agents have been cold-calling customers across the county in recent weeks, in a variety of locations outside of the county town, trying to sign them up ahead of the full roll-out later this year.
The speeds under the new scheme are said to be up to four times faster than the existing fastest broadband service in the State. But only about 300 houses in the Aughnaskerry and Rocklands estates are currently trialling the technology.

'Re-briefings’
A spokesperson for Vodafone Ireland told The Anglo-Celt this week the company is investigating the potentially embarrassing gaff.
“Vodafone Ireland is currently investigating this matter and has taken steps today to re-brief its agents on the availability of its SIRO retail product,” the spokesperson said.
At the time announcement last April, the new service was demonstrated to members of Cavan County Council and Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys at the council chamber.
The Vodafone spokesperson admitted, despite attempts made by its agents to sell their Siro product to customers: “The company has not yet officially launched its SIRO retail product that will enable its customers to avail of speeds of up to 1GB fibre broadband.
“SIRO announced in April 2015 that Cavan would be one of the first 10 towns to receive SIRO and it is intended that the retail product will be available later this year.
“When the product is officially launched, it is intended that Vodafone agents will make customers and potential customers aware in the designated towns of the availability of the product,” the spokesperson said.
Rural areas not mapped to receive the new service will be tackled through the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP), also announced earlier this year. The aim of the NBP plan is to supply high-speed broadband to all houses in the country by 2020.