New era of connectivity as National Broadband Plan rollout in Longford completes

Second in Series of County Milestones as National Broadband Plan (NBP) Rollout Nears Completion

Press Release: Friday 26 June

National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport and Longford County Council have  announced the completion of the NBP’s main infrastructure build works in Co. Longford. 

The milestone will be marked today at an event in the Latin School Community Centre in Moyne, where speakers will highlight the role of high-speed connectivity in supporting education, employment, remote working and enterprise in rural and isolated communities. 

Longford is the second county to reach this stage of the National Broadband Plan rollout, following Co. Kilkenny last week, as the national programme moves through its final phase of delivery. 

Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, TD said: Today’s announcement marks an important milestone for Co. Longford and for the National Broadband Plan as a whole. The largest infrastructure project in rural Ireland since electrification, the National Broadband Plan is reshaping rural Ireland.  

Greater connectivity is opening new opportunities across Co. Longford, in education and enterprise, and is ensuring that homes, farms, businesses and communities, no matter how remote, can access the same opportunities as those in our towns and cities.” 

Longford becoming the second county completed under the National Broadband Plan is proof of the progress that has been made, and the momentum now carrying us through the final phase of delivery.” 

More than 9,000 premises in Co. Longford are included in the State’s Intervention Area, where NBI is delivering minimum speeds of 500 megabits per second to homes, businesses, farms and schools. As the biggest investment in rural Ireland since rural electrification, the National Broadband Plan has delivered €34 million of Government investment in Co. Longford. To date, over 3,700 premises have already connected to the NBI network in the county. 

Cathaoirleach, of Longford County Council Cllr Gerry Hagan said, “This is a major moment for County Longford. Reliable, high-speed broadband is not a luxury here – it is essential. For a rural county like ours, it changes what is possible. It allows people to live locally and work globally, supports our small businesses and farms, and helps our young people see a future at home. This investment brings new life to our communities and ensures that where you live in Longford no longer limits your opportunity.” 

Chief Executive of Longford County Council Paddy Mahon said, “The rollout of the National Broadband Plan in Longford is a real step forward for the county. It strengthens our ability to attract enterprise, support remote working and improve access to services such as education and healthcare. We have worked closely with National Broadband Ireland to deliver this on the ground, and we are already seeing the benefits. For Longford, this is not just about connectivity – it is about long-term growth, resilience and making sure our communities can thrive in a digital age.” 

NBI’s fibre rollout is delivering broadband infrastructure to what is known as the State’s Intervention Area, which includes the most remote and rural parts of Ireland where commercial operators have no plans to deliver high-speed broadband. With construction now at an advanced stage nationwide, NBI has confirmed that the main build of the fibre network remains on track for completion by the end of this year. The network will enable high-speed broadband access for 566,000 homes, farms and businesses across rural Ireland, which is an increase of 29,000 premises from the original 537,000 identified at the time of contract signing. 

David McCourt, Founder and Chairman of National Broadband Ireland, said: “The completion of the National Broadband Plan’s main build works in Longford is another powerful example of what this project was created to achieve: ensuring that no community is left behind because of where it is located.  

“High-speed fibre broadband is now essential infrastructure, just like electricity and roads. For rural counties like Longford, it opens up new possibilities for enterprise, education, farming, healthcare, remote work and community life.” 

Nationally, more than 491,000 homes, farms and businesses have now been passed by the NBI network and can order a fibre broadband connection, with over 179,000 connected so far as demand continues to accelerate. In many areas where the network has been live for longer, take-up already surpasses 60%, reflecting strong national appetite for world-class fibre connectivity. 

Communities across Ireland, including homes, farms, small businesses and schools, are now able to access fibre broadband capable of supporting remote work, online learning, digital health services, agri-tech, tourism and local enterprise. 

 Jenny Fisher, Chief Executive Officer, National Broadband Ireland Deployment, said: “Completing the main infrastructure build works in Co. Longford is a hugely significant moment for everyone involved in the National Broadband Plan. This has been a complex engineering project, reaching some of the most rural and dispersed communities in the county, and it is thanks to the hard work of our deployment teams, our contractors, local authority partners and communities on the ground that we have reached this milestone.” 

“We’ll continue to work with our partners in Longford to support connections to the network and with broadband providers so that people can place orders and experience the benefits of high-speed fibre broadband. Across the country, over 491,000 premises can now order broadband through the National Broadband Plan, and the main build remains on track for completion by the end of this year.” 

Residents and businesses in NBI’s rollout area can check their Eircode on the NBI website to confirm availability and view the list of broadband providers offering services over the network. NBI is a wholesale network operator, meaning homes and businesses order services through broadband providers rather than directly from NBI.