European Commission clears €450m ESB-Vodafone broadband venture

Up to 500,000 homes and businesses in the country’s larger towns will have high-speed broadband after the European Commission cleared a joint proposal from the ESB and Vodafone.

The companies signed a joint venture agreement in July to spend about €450m in connecting up buildings with fibre cabling — using the ESB’s electricity infrastructure.

They will concentrate on bringing the service to 50 towns, all with more than 4,000 inhabitants, throughout the 26 counties and say the first customers should have the service by the start of next year.