Siro's Broadband Desert Drive: How Ireland's Business Parks Are Being Left Behind in the Fibre Revolution
Telecommunications provider Siro has announced a targeted expansion programme aimed at connecting businesses in approximately 600 Irish business parks that currently lack access to full-fibre broadband — a significant competitive disadvantage for the companies located in them and a gap in Ireland's digital infrastructure that the provider says it is uniquely positioned to fill using its existing electricity network infrastructure.
Background
Ireland's broadband story has been one of the defining infrastructure narratives of the past decade. The National Broadband Plan, which committed the state to providing high-speed broadband to every premises in the country by 2026, has been one of the most ambitious and controversial infrastructure projects in the history of the state, beset by delays, cost overruns, and political controversy. The plan is now largely on track, but its focus on residential premises has left a significant gap in the provision of connectivity to business parks and industrial estates, many of which are located in areas that were not prioritised by commercial operators.
Siro, which is a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone, has built its network by using the ESB's existing electricity infrastructure — poles, ducts, and substations — to deploy fibre optic cables at a fraction of the cost that would be required to build a new network from scratch. This approach has allowed Siro to reach over 500,000 premises across Ireland, primarily in towns and villages that were not served by Eir's existing network, and to do so at a speed and cost that has made it one of the most successful broadband providers in the country.
The company's decision to target business parks represents a significant expansion of its strategy, moving beyond the residential market into the commercial sector where the demand for high-speed, reliable connectivity is even more acute. Many of the business parks in question are home to small and medium-sized enterprises that are the backbone of the Irish economy — manufacturers, logistics companies, professional services firms — and whose ability to compete in an increasingly digital marketplace depends on access to the kind of connectivity that their urban counterparts take for granted.
Key Developments
Siro's chief executive confirmed this week that the company has identified approximately 600 business parks across Ireland that are currently in "broadband deserts" — locations where the available connectivity is insufficient for modern business needs. The company is targeting these locations as part of a commercial expansion that will use its existing network infrastructure to extend fibre connectivity to business premises that are currently relying on copper-based broadband or, in some cases, mobile data connections.
The expansion will be funded through a combination of commercial revenue and, in some cases, state support through the National Broadband Plan's intervention area. Siro has indicated that it expects to connect the first tranche of business parks by the end of 2026, with the full programme expected to take two to three years to complete. The company has not disclosed the total investment required but has indicated that it is "significant."
The announcement has been welcomed by business representative organisations, including Ibec and the Small Firms Association, which have long argued that the lack of adequate broadband connectivity in rural and regional business parks is a significant barrier to economic development outside the major urban centres. Enterprise Ireland has also indicated that it will work with Siro to identify business parks where improved connectivity could support the growth of client companies.
Why It Matters
The broadband desert problem is more significant than it might appear. In an economy where digital connectivity is increasingly a prerequisite for participation in global supply chains, the absence of adequate broadband in a business park is not merely an inconvenience — it is a competitive disadvantage that can determine whether a company can attract and retain talent, access cloud-based services, and participate in the digital economy. For companies in sectors like manufacturing, logistics, and professional services, the difference between adequate and inadequate broadband can be the difference between growth and stagnation.
The geographic dimension of the problem is also important. Many of the business parks identified by Siro are located in regional towns and rural areas where the local economy is heavily dependent on the businesses they house. If those businesses are unable to compete effectively because of inadequate connectivity, the consequences for local employment and economic activity can be severe. The government's regional development strategy explicitly identifies digital connectivity as a key enabler of balanced regional development, and Siro's expansion programme is directly aligned with that objective.
The use of ESB infrastructure to deploy fibre is also a model that has broader implications for Ireland's digital infrastructure strategy. The electricity network reaches every corner of the country, and the ability to use it as a conduit for fibre deployment could significantly reduce the cost and time required to achieve universal high-speed broadband coverage.
Local Impact
The impact of Siro's expansion will be felt most directly in the regional towns and rural areas where the targeted business parks are located. In counties like Roscommon, Leitrim, and Longford — which have historically had the lowest levels of broadband connectivity — the arrival of full-fibre broadband in local business parks could be transformative, enabling existing businesses to grow and making the areas more attractive to new investment. In larger regional centres like Athlone, Sligo, and Tralee, improved business park connectivity will strengthen the case for locating operations outside Dublin, supporting the government's objective of more balanced regional development. Local enterprise offices across the country have been briefed on Siro's expansion plans and will be working with the company to identify priority locations in their areas.
What's Next
Siro has indicated that it will publish a detailed rollout plan for the business park expansion in October, identifying the specific locations that will be connected in the first phase of the programme. The company is also in discussions with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment about the possibility of co-funding the expansion in areas where the commercial case is marginal but the economic development benefits are significant. A formal announcement on the first phase of connections is expected before the end of the year, with the first business parks going live on the Siro network in early 2027.
