Fibre Broadband

What is fibre broadband?

Fibre optic broadband delivers superfast broadband to your home using a network of fibre-optic cables. It’s the fastest broadband connection available in Ireland delivering speeds of up to 1,000Mbps.

Who is the best fibre broadband provider?

There are 8 broadband providers in Ireland offering fibre broadband:

• Digiweb
• eir
• Pure Telecom
• Sky
• Virgin Media
• Vodafone

How does fibre optic broadband work?

Fibre broadband uses fibre optic cables, which are run underground, to deliver superfast broadband to homes and businesses. These fibre optic cables transmit data faster, hence the boost in broadband speed. There are a two main types of Fibre broadband connections:

1. Fibre-to the-Home (FTTH)/ Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) is the fastest type of fibre connection as it delivers fibre directly into your home via fibre-optic cables giving speeds of up to 1,000Mbps.

2. Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) is more common throughout Ireland. It delivers the fibre connection via fibre optic cables to your nearest cabinet or exchange and then the connection from here to your home is delivered via older copper cables which do not deliver speeds as fast making FTTC connections slower than ‘full fibre’. Providers advertise ‘up to’ speeds, but the actual speed you get will depend on whether or not you have a FTTH or FTTC connection, and - if you have FTTC - your distance from the exchange.

Is fibre better than broadband?

Yes, fibre optic broadband is faster and more reliable than standard broadband connections like ADSL internet as it uses fibre optic cables to send data into homes and businesses.

What speed is fibre broadband?

Currently the fastest fibre plans in Ireland is 1,000Mbps - or 1GB - which is known as ‘lightning speed’. However, speeds of up to 100Mbps are more widely available from many of the fibre providers.

Who is the cheapest fibre broadband?

All of the fibre providers including Sky, Vodafone, Pure Telecom and eir offer superfast speeds of up to 100Mbps, with Virgin Media offering speeds up to 1000Mbps. The cheapest fibre broadband deal is the Simply Broadband & Talk plan from Vodafone, which costs €30 for the first 12 months, and €55 thereafter.

The fastest fibre deal is the 1Gb Broadband & World Unlimited Talk plan from Virgin Media, which costs €80 for the first 12 months, and €90 thereafter.

Can I get fibre broadband?

Getting fibre broadband depends on a number of factors, but mainly where you live, your distance from the nearest exchange and providers in your area. SIRO, eir, enet and Virgin Media are continually working to roll out superfast fibre speeds across Ireland.

Is fibre broadband more expensive?

Yes, fibre broadband can be more expensive than other broadband technology, but fibre connections will be much faster and reliable.

Can I get fibre broadband without a phone line?

Fibre broadband is not reliant on phone lines, so you won’t need one installed in order to get fibre installed in your home.