National Broadband Ireland, which is designing, building and operating the new high-speed fibre broadband network for rural Ireland, said that over 243,000 premises are now ready to connect to its national network.
In its latest quarterly report, NBI said that 89% of premises included in the State's Intervention Area have completed the initial surveying phase of the rollout. This represents a total of 503,390 premises.
It said that with this critical phase of the works now nearing full completion across the country, the majority of its resources are now dedicated to the physical construction of its high-speed fibre broadband network.
NBI said that 76% of the project (430,413) has moved to or through construction, with over 48% of premises (268,649) now in the build complete category.
It also said that by May 17, 955 Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) have been installed and are live with 672 of these in schools.
The NBI infrastructure is already live on 10 of the 27 islands included in the rollout, while the remaining 17 islands are in various stages of survey and design works.
Peter Hendrick, chief executive of National Broadband Ireland, said that NBI has maintained momentum into this year and the rollout is operating on budget and on schedule.
"We expect to pass over 300,000 premises and connect over 100,000 new customers to high-speed fibre broadband by the end of this year. Almost 90% of all surveying works are now completed which means a majority of our resources can now be dedicated to the physical construction of our high-speed network," Mr Hendrick said.
"Access to high-speed fibre broadband is life-changing for rural communities. It opens up opportunities for education, remote work, and business development, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital age," he added.
Minister of State with responsibility for Communications and Circular Economy Ossian Smyth said the National Broadband Plan is one of the largest and most ambitious State infrastructural projects since rural electrification.
"This project was designed to support rural and remote areas, which were at risk of getting left behind without intervention. With the National Broadband Plan's success to date, Ireland is now a European and global leader in digital connectivity," the Minister added.
