SIRO Broadband Ireland Explained: Coverage, Providers & How to Get It

SIRO is Ireland's premium fibre network. Find out if it's available, which providers sell it, and why it's better than standard fibre.

By SmartSaver Team | Published 1 January 2026 | 5 min read

Topics: siro broadband, siro ireland, ftth ireland, best fibre ireland

SIRO is often mentioned as Ireland's best broadband network—but what exactly is it, and can you get it?

What Is SIRO?

SIRO is a wholesale fibre network that delivers pure fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband:

Joint venture: ESB (electricity) + Vodafone
Technology: 100% fibre optic to your home
Speeds: Up to 2Gb (2000Mb)
Coverage: ~50 towns and cities

SIRO uses ESB's existing electricity poles to run fibre cables, making rollout faster and less disruptive than digging new infrastructure.

Why SIRO Is Different

SIRO vs Open Eir

| Feature | SIRO | Open Eir (FTTH) | Open Eir (FTTC) | |---------|------|-----------------|-----------------| | Fibre to home | Yes | Yes | Copper last stretch | | Max speed | 2Gb | 2Gb | ~100Mb | | Reliability | Excellent | Excellent | Variable | | Coverage | ~50 towns | Expanding | Widespread |

Key point: Both SIRO and Open Eir FTTH are excellent. The issue is Open Eir FTTC (fibre-to-cabinet), which uses copper for the last stretch and limits speeds.

SIRO vs Virgin Media

| Feature | SIRO | Virgin Media | |---------|------|--------------| | Technology | Pure fibre | Cable (HFC) | | Max speed | 2Gb | 2Gb | | Upload speed | Up to 500Mb | ~50Mb | | Reliability | Excellent | Very good | | Coverage | ~50 towns | ~50% urban |

Key point: SIRO has better upload speeds—important for video calls and remote work.

Where Is SIRO Available?

SIRO covers approximately 50 towns and cities across Ireland:

Major Areas:

Carlow
Cavan
Dundalk
Drogheda
Kilkenny
Letterkenny
Sligo
Tralee
Waterford
Wexford
Parts of Dublin suburbs
Parts of Cork suburbs
And more...

Check your address: siro.ie → Enter your eircode Important: SIRO isn't in Dublin city centre or Cork city centre—these areas use Open Eir or Virgin Media.

How to Get SIRO Broadband

SIRO is a wholesale network—you can't buy directly from them. Instead, choose a retail provider:

SIRO Providers

| Provider | 500Mb | 1Gb | 2Gb | |----------|-------|-----|-----| | Vodafone | €35/mo | €40/mo | €50/mo | | Pure Telecom | €35/mo | €45/mo | — | | Sky | €35/mo | €40/mo | — | | Digiweb | €45/mo | €55/mo | €65/mo |

Prices are approximate. Check providers for current offers.

Best SIRO Provider?

Best value: Vodafone — €40/month for 1Gb is excellent Best service: Digiweb — Award-winning customer support Best overall: Pure Telecom — Balance of price and service

SIRO Speed Tiers

| Tier | Download | Upload | Best For | |------|----------|--------|----------| | 150Mb | 150Mb | 30Mb | Light users | | 500Mb | 500Mb | 100Mb | Most households | | 1Gb | 1000Mb | 200Mb | Heavy users | | 2Gb | 2000Mb | 500Mb | Power users |

Recommendation: 500Mb is plenty for 95% of households. 1Gb is nice but rarely necessary.

SIRO Upload Speeds

SIRO's upload speeds are a genuine advantage:

| Provider/Network | Download | Upload | |------------------|----------|--------| | SIRO 500Mb | 500Mb | 100Mb | | Virgin 500Mb | 500Mb | 50Mb | | Eir FTTC | 100Mb | 20Mb |

Why upload matters:

Video calls (sending your video)
Cloud backups
Working from home
Content creators
Gaming streams

Installation Process

Getting SIRO connected:

Check availability: siro.ie with your eircode

Order from provider: Vodafone, Pure Telecom, etc.

Site survey: SIRO may survey your property

Installation: Engineer runs fibre to your home

Connection: Router set up, you're online

Timeline: Typically 2-4 weeks from order Cost: Usually free (included in provider setup)

SIRO vs Waiting for NBI

If you're in a rural area without SIRO:

NBI (National Broadband Plan):

Rolling out to rural Ireland
Up to 500Mb
May take until 2027 in some areas

If SIRO is available: Get it now—it's as good as NBI If neither available: Check NBI timeline, consider alternatives (5G, Imagine)

Common Questions

Is SIRO better than Virgin Media?

For upload speeds, yes. For download speeds, similar. Both are excellent.

Why isn't SIRO in Dublin city centre?

Dublin city centre uses Open Eir infrastructure. SIRO focused on towns where they could deploy faster via ESB poles.

Can I switch from Eir to SIRO?

Only if SIRO is available at your address. If it is, yes—switch via a SIRO provider like Vodafone.

Is SIRO more reliable than other fibre?

SIRO uses newer infrastructure, so yes—generally very reliable. But Open Eir FTTH is also excellent.

Why choose SIRO over Virgin Media?

Better upload speeds. Otherwise, both are great if available.

Summary

SIRO is Ireland's premium fibre network:

Pure fibre-to-home
Up to 2Gb speeds
Excellent upload speeds
Available in ~50 towns

How to get it:

Check siro.ie for availability

Order through Vodafone, Pure Telecom, Digiweb, or Sky

Wait for installation

If SIRO isn't available:

Check Open Eir FTTH
Check Virgin Media
Check NBI timeline
Consider 5G or wireless alternatives

---

Last updated: January 2026

---