Fibre broadband making a 'night and day' difference
Two Cavan entrepreneurs have praised the opportunities of fibre broadband following the completion of the National Broadband Plan in Cavan.
Speaking at an event to mark the end of the rollout in Cavan Digital Hub last Friday, October 23, Ballinagh sheep farmer David Beattie, co-founder of agritech BT-BroTech and owner of the popular YouTube channel ‘Sheep School’, told the crowd that after transitioning from a “terrible” copper legacy connection and “zero” social media a few years ago, he now has 34,000 subscribers, an average of 50,000 views each week and 4.9 million views in the last year through documenting his daily life on the farm.
The Anglo-Celt Cavan Business and Tourism Endeavour Award recipient told the Celt that, through Arden Broadband, he first had a wireless satellite dish before moving to a fibre connection, which really enhanced his connectivity.
Giving an example of a 46GB hour-long video he uploaded of restoring his father’s old tractor in recent weeks, David explained that a video of that length would previously have taken him four days to upload. Through a fibre connection, he can upload the same video in less than an hour. The difference, he says, is “night and day”.
Speaking to the Celt after the event, Micheál Smith, co-founder and Managing Director of Hybrid Energy Group, said that the speed of their upgraded fibre connection has allowed the Stradone-based provider of PV panels and heat pumps to grow.
Through moving from a 22MB wireless connection from Slieve Glah to a 500MB fibre connection - also with Arden - the energy company can now respond to emails quicker and easily monitor the equipment they install. The company has also extended its office, employed four more staff, and installed a landline, security cameras and a CRM system - used to log information on jobs, which previously would have taken a much longer time to upload.
Overall, a total of €65M was invested in bringing high-speed fibre broadband to almost 17,000 homes, farms, businesses and schools (39% of premises) across County Cavan, and almost 6,250 premises have already been connected to the network.
The completion event was held as part of the inaugural Cavan Eco Féile, which, along with the rollout of fibre broadband, focuses on “connecting people, places and ideas, and creating opportunities for the future”, said Cathaoirleach Cllr Carmel Brady in her opening remarks.
Comparing the rollout to rural electrification, Cllr Brady said that high-speed broadband connects our homes and businesses to “opportunities, markets, education, services, friends and family throughout Ireland and across the world”.
“It has also given rural counties, such as Cavan, an opportunity to demonstrate that innovation and entrepreneurship are not just determined by geography,” she added.
The event was hosted by Cavan County Council, and also featured addresses from Clive Ryan, Director of the Digital Connectivity Office, Department of Culture, Communications and Sport; Jenny Fisher, CEO of National Broadband Ireland Deployment, and Daniel Peeters, Broadband Officer with Cavan County Council, with moderation by Sarah Carey, Irish Independent columnist and broadcaster.
The nationwide rollout of the plan is due for completion later this year, when 566,000 premises will be able to connect to the network. More than 195,000 premises have already been connected.