A Connected Ireland: The progress our internet infrastructure has made, and what to expect for the future

There is more than 30 years of history to look at when discussing the internet in Ireland, and we’ve made an extraordinary amount of progress over that time.

It’s easy to assume that the internet was an instant success. As well as that, it is quite understandable that many of us overlook today’s innovations as merely another step on the road.

The reality is that it took time for the internet to truly take hold, and this was not purely down to a lack of technology or infrastructure. It required a great deal of work to get it off the ground, as well as a great number of years to fully understand the opportunities it presents.

Internet connectivity is becoming an increasingly important factor, even when it comes down to finding a new home. Research published earlier this year by SIRO, a wholesale operator created by Vodafone and ESB in 2015, showed that it is the single most important factor for under 35s when considering their ideal home.

Given how much higher our expectations are these days, reliability is always going to be a big factor in deciding what service is best for you. A piece of technology that would have seemed impossible back in 1991, Vodafone’s Always Connected Broadband Technology is an automatic network back-up for your broadband so you can avoid online interruptions. If your internet connection gets cut off due to circumstances outside of your control like roadworks it switches to mobile data so you can always stay connected.

You can find out more about Vodafone’s Always Connected Broadband Technology here.

The Early Days

Internet in Ireland during the 1990s

To fully appreciate the progress we have made, it’s important to fully understand the early days of internet connection in Ireland.

Whilst the speed of Ireland's early internet infrastructure was obviously a drop in the ocean compared to what we expect today, the first people to really embrace it at the time were either in the world of business or involved in education.

Many in Ireland wouldn’t have had a computer at that time, so whatever potential the internet presented wouldn’t have really seemed too obvious for most of us. It was a service called Ireland On-Line, founded by Barry Flanagan and Colm Greany in the mid-90s, that broke the ice and introduced an unexplored digital world to the Irish public.

It was not a place of social media, or an essential tool for people whilst doing their job. The uptake was slow at first but, as they said themselves, all it really took for people to appreciate Ireland On-Line was the ability to access it for themselves.

What the internet was used for in those days was mostly direct communications and emails. As more people started to use it and their customer base grew, the company went from catering to a handful of techies to over 200,000 people.

If you were not one of those lucky internet pioneers and decided to visit an internet café, you could probably expect speeds of around 64 Kbps. For reference, that would mean enduring a wait time of about one hour just to download a single 30MB song to your device.

Even at the mention of those wait times, it’s understandable if your mind drifts back to the unyielding screech of the old dial-up tone we used to have to endure.

Access is so crucial to understanding technology. Without it we are left to guess how something could potentially affect our lives, and the seismic shift that took place in the early 90s was merely the beginning.

Always Connected

Not only has the manner in which we use the internet changed drastically as new technologies are implemented, but our expectations have also changed as a result.

The internet is no longer something we expect to have to connect to, instead most of us feel as if it should be readily accessible wherever we may be.

As inconceivable as that would have seemed 30 years ago, in no way is that too much to ask. Whether standing in your kitchen or at a picnic on the beach, powerful and reliable internet access is so often within reach.

Especially over the past few years, a strong internet connection has moved from being a standard inclusion in many people’s homes to an integral part of everyday life. Be it working remotely, connecting with relatives on the far side of the world or learning new skills with an online course, it’s easy to overlook how many choices we are presented with each and every day.

The National Broadband Plan is something you have likely heard much about over the last few years, particularly if you live in a rural area that lacked high speed broadband. First announced in 2012 as a plan to connect every home and business, regardless of how rural it may be, to a high-speed broadband service.

While the rollout of this continues and will do so into the future, the progress it has already made is something that has already paid dividends for many people across the country. Were the Covid-19 pandemic to have happened even 10 years ago, the phenomenal level of connectivity we experienced when movements were restricted simply would not have been possible.

Working from home would have been beyond the reach of many, and video calls would have seemed about as likely as they did in 1991. With new advancements being made with our internet connection coming every year, it’s important to acknowledge how much progress has been made and enjoy the benefits that come with having such easy access to a digital world that we rely on daily.

While we do rely on our internet connection every day, life can quite often throw complications your way that interrupt your online experience. What makes Vodafone Always Connected broadband technology so unique is that it keeps you online by switching over to mobile data, even if there was a disruption to your main connection due to building works or an internet outage.

Embracing Change

According to the Central Statistics Office in 2021, about 89pc of internet users (which represents 93pc of all households) use the internet every day.

More than one third of those internet users are almost always online, with the vast majority of them using their smartphones to access the internet. This is up about 6pc from 2020 alone, which is a considerable shift in such a short space of time. Staying connected wherever we are is no longer merely a pipe dream.

As those who got to experience the early days of the internet in Ireland would tell you, embracing new technology is key to unlocking its potential. We can learn a lot from embracing the digital world, but it’s equally important to keep yourself informed, and have a finger on the pulse of what the latest advancements are.

Year on year, new possibilities are opened up that improve your online experience. Advancements such as 5G networks and fibre-optic broadband are some of the most significant at the moment, expanding on what was once possible and helping us further embrace the idea of always having internet access at our fingertips.

Ireland is not alone in this regard. EU plans are currently in place for all of its citizens to have access to 5G networks and fibre broadband by the end of the decade.

When looking back at the progress that has been made since that first connection in 1991, one can’t help but wonder what will be possible in 30 years’ time.

To learn more about Vodafone Always Connected Broadband Technology, visit the website here.