National Broadband Ireland : implementation and progress

Unfortunately with the fiber being run through the branches of dozens of trees on the 8km from the exchange to our area, downed cables and poles are almost inevitable in the next big storm. Unless all the trees and branches that are liable to fall have done so already - but sure looks sketchy to me.

NBI along with ESBN need an ongoing maintenance plan to clear cable routes to minimise the potential for storm damage.

Exactly, it's the worst storm in a century.

Granted not NBI but FTTH for prob 3 years now and can’t recall an outage!

Our NBI line got fixed this afternoon. Van going round, I think it said "Inversion". I think there was one cable down on the main road that had knocked a lot of us out. The cables themselves must be robust enough as was been driven over since the storm and they haven't restrung new fibre.

My provider has issued a refund for the time we were knocked out for

I'd guess it shouldn't be a problem so long as the ONT is mounted indoors and you're happy to connect to the router via the existing ethernet cable.

Been struggling with different types of DSL/FWA/4G for almost 20 years, Since 2020 been using Vodafone 4G with an external antenna mounted in the Attic - Getting 20-50 mb speeds most of the time. I kid you not but today NBI are mounting the DP Box about 20m from the house and the Mobile Antennas are also being mounted on a 24m high 4g/5g Wireless Tower a few 100m away….Wait for 1 service to arrive and 2 show up !!!

Most mobile coverage blackspots up to now are generally because the mobile providers themselves couldn't get a decent enough connection to run a cell site from. Good few villages I know of through Kilkenny and Tipperary where monopoles (in particular) appear in villages shortly after one of the fibre providers rolls through with triple digit 4G and 5G speeds.

Only downside, as many have discovered with the recent storms, is that if the fibre provider takes a hit the mobile networks go down with it, when many would have assumed the mobile network a reasonable backup against issues with broadband or power outages.

I was just wondering if you guys could tell if nearby houses are close to getting a connection….

Box just went up today, Not saying pre-order yet. It says the connection Apr 2025 to July 2025 on the NBI site.

Presume so, Looks like 1 is coming from Main Road and the other 3 are servicing other poles/DP Box!

The 3 cables on the left head to an adjacent crossroads that has several new and existing poles going in 3 directions at the junction…

Their website is very sparse on details. So far they appear to be concentrating on migrating their wireless customers over to fibre.

Let's see what their pricing is once they go seeking new fibre subscribers

I don't have fibre yet but wouldn't consider any ISP that isn't publishing its pricing openly.

I am STILL without internet after the storm it’s ridiculous

Can anyone help me clarify a poling issue I have with NBI please?

In February 2024, an NBI surveyor visited my father and guilt tripped him into signing a wayleave form for three poles to be erected in his boundary hedge of one of the fields by the road, so that one of the neighbours could recieve fibre. He was told that they probably wouldn't be able to get broadband unless he allowed for the poles to be erected, so he reluctantly signed it. He told me this and I explained to him that they could have laid a new duct underground to the DP pole instead, but they just wanted to save themselves money and go for the cheapest option. I have also applied for planning permission for my house in this field and the hedge will probably have to be removed and replanted for sightlines.

I immediately rang them and was told to send an email to the complaints department. I sent several emails on behalf of my father explaining the situation and told them that any wayleave my father granted was revoked.

During Summer 2024, my father came across a poling crew beginning to erect the poles and told them that duct was to be laid there, not poles.

Fast forward to November 2024, we came across three poles that had been erected without our knowledge. I both rang and emailed and told them that the poles were to be removed. I was told it would be sorted and someone was looking into the matter.

One week later, and a cable had been brought across the poles and my neighbour was connected up.

I have contacted NBI and they said it's the responsibility of the company who erected the poles. Circet erected the poles but said that NBI said it was "public poling" and that I should contact the broadband provider (why the need for wayleave then?). The county council say it doesn't have anything to do with them as it's "a civil matter". So, I'm basically going round and round in circles because nobody will take responsibility.

I am confident my planning permission will be approved and the poles will probably have to be moved for sightlines, so I will surely have to foot the bill for that even though I told them from the start that a duct should be laid. The neighbour actually already has a duct going underground for about 300m to another exchange in the opposite direction which carries their old phone-line but they probably wanted to use the other exchange as it was closer and didn't require civils.

- Do landowners in rural Ireland own from their boundary out to the middle of the road and thus wayleave is required?

- The county council say it's a civil matter. Do I have to threaten to bring NBI/Circet to court in order for them to move the poles?

- How best should I go about getting the poles removed?

It may not sound like a big deal, but I am very angry at how these big companies manipulated my father and disregarded my instructions, which will in turn hit me in my pocket when I need all the money I can right now to get my house built. It's unfair how this process was carried and nobody is taking responsibility.

He wasn't given an underground option and I had revoked his wayleave on his behalf as he doesn't have an email. That should have been the end of it. Yes, because farmers love nothing more than avoiding obstacles in hedges with hedge cutters...