SIRO Broadband: Best Fibre Speeds in Ireland?
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From fibre and ADSL to satellite, figuring out the right type of broadband connection for your home can be a challenge. In this guide, we will cover the main aspects of one of the most popular choices - SIRO. What is it, how much does it cost, and how is it installed? Read on to find out everything you need to know about SIRO broadband in Ireland.
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What Is SIRO?
Throughout Ireland, there are many types of broadband connections you can have, such as:
However, a newcomer to the broadband market has, SIRO, was launched in Ireland in 2015 as a joint venture between ESB and Vodafone and uses the existing ESB electricity network,and with National Broadband Ireland, to run fibre cables directly to your home. This fibre network acts as 100% fibre or FTTP (Fibre To The Premises) as opposed to part-fibre or FTTC (Fibre To The Cabinet) and allows customers to achieve speeds of up 1 Gbps, and even 2 Gbps in some locations This is much faster than part-copper wire networks.
How widespread is SIRO? SIRO broadband was Ireland's first 100% fibre network and thus far has laid over 10,404 kilometres of fibre through their 20 retail partners, reaching over 450,000 properties. With plans to rapidly scale to 770,000, SIRO makes Ireland a serious broadband competitor.
How Does SIRO Broadband Work?
SIRO broadband uses the same technology as traditional fibre broadband, using fibre-optic cable to connect your property to the internet. What differs between them is the type of connection and the network where you receive your connection.
SIRO only offers FTTP as standard, whereas the majority of fibre connections with other providers are FTTC. Not having copper and part-fibre connections means that SIRO broadband can offer a much faster service to households, with a lower likelihood of connection difficulties and varying speeds. Though most providers share networks between them, some providers such as Virgin Media and SIRO operate through their own network.
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Is SIRO Broadband Better Than Fibre Broadband?
Trying to decide if SIRO broadband or fibre broadband is the right choice for your home? Let’s look at a few pros and cons to simplify things.
SIRO Broadband
- FTTP - Faster and more stable
- Network - Owners are established and reliable
- Development - The network is currently smaller than providers offering FTTC
- Providers - Smaller selection of providers offering SIRO deals than FTTC
Fibre Broadband
- Providers - Wide selection of providers supporting FTTC
- Development - Established and accessible network
- Connection - Mainly FTTC connections, meaning slower overall speeds than SIRO
- Installation - Expensive and lengthy installations
Overall, SIRO broadband in Ireland offers a faster speed and more stable connection. The downfall is that the network is not yet widespread, meaning that you may have to opt for traditional fibre and deal with slower average speeds. That being said, FTTC is still a good choice for standard home use, but for those with heavy online usage, SIRO or FTTP deals really are the better choice.
How Many Devices Can I Use at Once on My SIRO Broadband?
With our growing reliance on strong home broadband connections for our day-to-day streaming, working or gaming needs, being able to connect to a stable connection without having to fight lag is crucial and slow broadband really can't be an issue anymore. The table below lists what each common household task requires in terms of broadband download speed.
| Internet Activity | Broadband Speed Required |
|---|---|
| Sending email | 1 Mbps |
| Social Media Activity | 1-5 Mbps |
| Listen to music (Spotify) | 2 Mbps |
| Watch a movie in HD | 5 Mbps |
| Online gaming (Call of Duty, Fortnite, etc) | At least 10 Mbps |
As we can see, for those who have SIRO broadband with 1 Gbps, multiple users watching movies or playing online games should not cause any performance drops related to their internet speeds. In order to work from home, speeds of 25 Mbps are best for those whose work involves data-heavy tasks. If your work consists of lighter duties, download speeds of 10 Mbps should be more than sufficient.
How is SIRO Installed?
If you have ever had a broadband line installed in your house, then a SIRO installation will be a fairly familiar concept and process for you.
- Survey
An engineer will survey your property and lay the SIRO fibre-optic cables either overhead or underground alongside the existing ESB infrastructure. - Installation
The fibre cable will arrive at the external ESB meter box in your home. An external connector box will be installed alongside this, in addition to a connector/modem within your home. - Testing
The engineer will test and demonstrate your new speeds and connection before leaving.
The installation time frame itself will vary depending on your home's specific requirements and location, along with supplier availability. As a rule, a broadband installation can take up to two weeks, with the on-site SIRO installation taking up to four hours.
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Which Providers Offer SIRO?
SIRO itself does not provide broadband contracts to homes. Instead, it provides its services through a selection of broadband providers, ranging from common household names to smaller and newer competitors. The Commission for Communications Regulation (Comreg) is open to allowing more and more providers to sell SIRO so there will be more to come!
| Provider | Package | Cost | Speeds | Contract Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Telecom | Premium Speed | €35 /month (then €55) | Up to 500Mbps | 12 months |
| Vodafone | 500 Fibre Broadband | €40 | Up to 500Mbps | 12 months |
| Vodafone | 1000 Fibre Broadband | €50 | Up to 1Gbps | 12 months |
| Sky | Ultrafast | €30 | Up to 500Mbps | 12 months |
| Sky | Ultrafast+ | €40 | Up to 1Gbps | 12 months |
| Digiweb | SIRO Gigabit Broadband | €39.95 | Up to 1Gbps | 12 Months |
| Kerry Broadband | SIRO 1000 | €65 | Up to 1Gbps | 12 Months |
| Rocket Broadband | SIRO 500 | €45 | Up to 500Mbps | 12 months |
| Rocket Broadband | SIRO 1000 | €55 | Up to 1Gbps | 12 months |
| Fastcom | 500 | €60 | Up to 500Mbps | 12 months |
| Fastcom | 1000 | €65 | Up to 1Gbps | 12 months |
Last Updated: 06/10/2023
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Who Has the Best SIRO Broadband Prices?
Fibre itself is a premium service, be it traditional or SIRO, so you can expect prices to generally be at the upper end of the market. Note that SIRO installation and activation fees have not been included in the table above, but can generally be expected to range up to €150. Most of these providers also offer multiple packages, but we have focused on their best prices on offer and not necessarily their cheapest offeringsin the table above.
The launch of a 2 Gbps service has also recently been launched in Kilkenny, with hopes to continue rolling out services of this speed bracket throughout 2023 and into 2024.
Where Is SIRO Broadband Available?
So, you are sold on SIRO broadband, or maybe just want to know what's going on in your area. As a rule, the best thing you can do after you have spotted a deal that takes your fancy is to contact the provider directly. They will then be able to go into more specifics about your package, installation costs, and if they can provide you with SIRO broadband.
If however, you don't want to spend all afternoon stuck in call queues, SIRO Ireland has an easy-to-use eircode checker facility and a SIRO rollout map. Both of these facilities are quite self-explanatory, but the Siro rollout map shows which towns within which counties can access SIRO and planned areas of deployment.
Is SIRO Broadband Available to Business Customers?
Yes! If anything the need of having super speeds and reliable connections is even more important to businesses than homes. Unfortunately, however, options are currently slightly limited on this front, though still contain a few big names.
As usual with business broadband, prices are not available online. Instead, you must get in contact with your prospective service provider by either calling, emailing, or completing a contact form. Take a look at our Sky contact and Vodafone contact pages to find out what your best options are.
SIRO Ireland Frequently Asked Questions
Is SIRO broadband fibre?
SIRO is a type of fibre. The main difference is how it gets to your property, and that SIRO is only available as FTTP.
Do I need a phone line to use SIRO?
No, SIRO Ireland operates independently from phone lines and does not require one in order to operate.
Should I contact SIRO or their approved network provider?
Siro does not provide broadband contracts. Instead, their services will be offered through one of the broadband service suppliers above. As such, if your query relates to your service or contract, you should contact your broadband provider. If you have questions about the SIRO network or its deployment, SIRO can be reached via email.
Is SIRO broadband any good?
Of course, as with any service and product, the user experience will vary. Websites such as Trustpilot can provide great insight into what the public thinks about their service. Many reviews will be lodged on individual provider review pages, but the direct SIRO broadband review page currently has a rating of 2.4 out of 5, from 37 reviews, with many users citing slow response times, and mixed communication quality.
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