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National Broadband Ireland (NBI) has officially connected the first homes and businesses on Achill Island to high-speed fibre broadband, marking a major milestone for digital connectivity on Ireland's largest offshore island.
The event, held on the island to commemorate the achievement, was attended by Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan T.D., alongside local public representatives, community groups, and island residents.
With the completion of the main build phase on Achill, more than 2,500 homes, farms, and businesses now have access to reliable fibre broadband, capable of speeds up to 2 Gigabit. This rollout ensures the island community will enjoy the same world-class connectivity already delivered to over 380,000 premises across Ireland.
Minister O'Donovan said: "The National Broadband Plan is one of the largest State infrastructure projects since rural electrification, and ensures that no community, home or business is left behind from a connectivity point of view. This means that delivering broadband infrastructure to the residents of Achill Island is a natural extension of this mandate.
"I'm delighted to be here today to witness first-hand the impact that this investment and connectivity to high-speed broadband is having for homes, businesses and the entire island community who will reap the benefits of it for decades to come."
David McCourt, Founder and Chairman of NBI, said: "At NBI, we are working to the mandate from Government to ensure that no town, village, or community will be left behind under the National Broadband Plan. No premises is too rural or too remote and we’re proud to be here on Achill Island – one of 27 offshore islands in our rollout – to mark the availability of our world-class fibre network."
Glenda Brady, Commercial Director at Imagine, added: "At Imagine, our roots have always been in rural Ireland and in serving communities like Achill. This is a moment we’re really proud of. Fibre connectivity will allow business owners, like Anna, succeed in a much bigger digitally connected market, no matter where they are based."
