Internet provider Siro is targeting companies in the Republic’s 600 business parks for upgrades to full-fibre broadband after new data revealed that many such firms are stuck in what it calls “fibre broadband deserts”.

ComReg, the Commission for Communications Regulation, published figures earlier this year indicating that just 13 per cent of all businesses in the Republic are using fibre-to-premises broadband, despite its availability across 86 per cent of premises nationally.

Siro said that firms based in business and retail parks are particularly likely to be stuck with slower broadband connections.

Soaring energy costs and why ‘we can’t protect everyone from the impact of war’

“While some businesses have just been slow to switch off their copper connection and move on to fibre, for others, access to fibre-to-the-premises broadband in their location has been a problem,” said Aoife O’Reilly, head of enterprise at Siro.

“Fibre broadband deserts – areas where fibre broadband networks have yet to reach – have been an issue, particularly so within business and retail parks.”

Siro, which recently completed full-fibre network roll-outs in Dublin’s Sandyford Business District and Greenogue Business Park in Rathcoole, said that poor connectivity can have knock-on effects for businesses, impacting productivity and customer service.

“The impact can be staggering,” O’Reilly said. “Take a small business with 20 employees, even 10 minutes per day of slow broadband for each employee amounts to 16 hours of lost productivity each week or 100 days over a full year.”

She said it wants to address this deficiency “by ensuring these key centres of economic activity have access to high-quality and future-proofed fibre broadband”.

Greenogue is the Republic’s largest light industrial business park, hosting more than 350 companies, including Amazon, Dyson and Zeus Packaging. “High quality, fast, reliable and future-ready connectivity is now an essential business resource, making access to Siro’s fibre to the premises broadband network a welcome addition to the on-site services available for businesses within the park,” said Sean McCarthy, Greenogue Business Park manager.

Siro has also launched a search tool that allows business owners to check if its network is available in their area. It said its business products offer broadband speeds of up to 10 gigabits, but its network can offer higher speeds of up to 25 gigabits.

Earlier this year, research commissioned by Siro estimated that advice provided to the State on measures to reduce new broadband infrastructure costs could add €2,500 to the price of new houses.

Last year, the Department of Communications commissioned German firm Wik-Consult to provide technical advice on the implementation of the new Gigabit Infrastructure Act.

The new European Union regulation will shift responsibility for providing fibre broadband infrastructure to developers.