Applications are now open for the 2026 SIRO-Vodafone Gigabit Hub Initiative, as the programme marks its 10th anniversary and celebrates a decade of connectivity support for 25 digital and remote working hubs across Ireland.
The Initiative was launched in 2016 with the objective of supporting digital and remote working hubs by providing them with best-in-class fibre connectivity to ensure that hubs can provide their end-users with high-quality, reliable and future-proofed Gigabit broadband.
Skibbereen’s, Ludgate Hub, was the first Hub to join the Initiative. Over the decade since, the Ludgate Hub has thrived and continues to work with start-ups, businesses, entrepreneurs’ community to underpin their development and wider regional economic growth.
SIRO broadband connectivity across 25 hubs has consistently highlighted how high-capacity, reliable broadband has underpinned their ability to support data-intensive work, collaborate with remote teams, host workshops and events, and provide stable digital environments for early-stage businesses, entrepreneurs, and remote workers.
Over the past decade, the Gigabit Hub Initiative has supported a diverse range of regional enterprise and remote working hubs across Ireland.
These include The Mill in Drogheda, the town’s first purpose-built innovation hub supporting enterprise across South Louth and East Meath; THE CUBE in Portlaoise, a Low Carbon Centre of Excellence dedicated to supporting the transition to a sustainable economy in County Laois; CREW Digital, an enterprise space for businesses in the creative and digital sectors; MERITS, an innovation think space advancing digital and technology innovation in Naas; and Inishowen Innovation, which plays a key role in fostering entrepreneurship and technological advancement in the Inishowen Peninsula and the wider North-West region.
Together, these hubs reflect the breadth of industries supported through the Initiative, spanning technology, creative enterprise, sustainability and community-led innovation.
John Keaney, SIRO CEO, said:
“A decade on, regional digital and remote working hubs have become magnets for collaboration, innovation, and opportunity. Reliable fibre broadband has been a foundation beneath that evolution. We are proud to have partnered with hubs that are deeply rooted in their communities and committed to enabling others to thrive.
Our focus for this year is clear: continue to empower hubs that drive innovation, connection, and opportunity for their communities. With the application process now open to be the next hub in this Initiative, I encourage interested hubs to apply.”
Sabrina Casalta, Vodafone Ireland CEO, added:
“For communities and local businesses across Ireland, the SIRO?Vodafone Gigabit Hub Initiative has become a real catalyst for rural progress. When hubs gain access to dependable, high? capacity fibre, it lifts the entire local economy, supporting small businesses to grow, enabling startups to innovate, and helping people build meaningful careers without leaving their own community – ensuring no one is left behind.
Over ten years, we’ve seen the initiative strengthen regional resilience, unlock new opportunities, and ensure that innovation isn’t limited to major cities. As we look to the next decade, it’s vital that future-proof, sustainable access is available everywhere in the country, so every community can participate fully in Ireland’s digital future.
This progress aligns with the Irish Government’s evolving ambitions under the next iteration of ‘Our Rural Future’, while also ensuring that world-class connectivity becomes a catalyst for stronger local economies, sustainable growth, and vibrant community life across rural Ireland.
As applications open for 2026, we’re committed to investing and backing more hubs that are driving ambition, creativity and economic growth in their communities.”
The application process for the Gigabit Hub Initiative is now open. Further information about the Initiative and how to apply can be found at www.SIRO.ie/gigabit-hubs.
