What Aurora Telecom does

Aurora Telecom is an operating division of state-owned Gas Networks Ireland that owns and operates Ireland's largest open-access dark fibre network, spanning more than 1,600 kilometres across 15 counties in a ring-topology national backhaul. The company was established in 2000 and runs four core infrastructure services: (1) dark fibre leasing (with both standard lease and long-term Indefeasible Right of Use options), where customers activate ('light') the fibre with their own equipment; (2) co-location facilities at ~80km intervals along the route, featuring N+1 DC power, double-conversion UPS, battery backup, diesel generation, Inergen fire suppression, and 24/7 BMS monitoring; (3) data centre inter-connectivity providing physically isolated optical paths between hyperscale sites; and (4) subsea cable landing station connectivity serving operators such as EXA Express, CIX Cork, IRIS, Havfrue/AEC-2, AEC-1, Havhingsten/CC-2, CC-1, Solas, and Beaufort. The network is built on Corning's G.652.D single-mode fibre and reports 99.999% availability.

The company serves telecom carriers (fixed, wireless, mobile), hyperscale data centres and cloud providers, subsea cable operators, streaming platforms, government and public sector organisations, and the research-and-education community (via HEAnet). All pricing is bespoke and quote-based, with multi-year contracts; revenue figures are not publicly disclosed because Aurora operates as a division of a state-owned parent. Distribution is direct-only, through an enterprise field-sales team and a website contact form; partnerships (notably the reciprocal ESB Telecoms fibre-access agreement signed February 2025) are used to extend reach without new civil works. Aurora holds NSAI certifications for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001, was appointed a 2024/2025 UNSDG Champion, and is currently trialling AI-based fibre sensing for encroachment and gas-leak detection plus quantum encryption with an Irish academic partner.

Name

Aurora Telecom

Legal name

Gas Networks Ireland trading as Aurora Telecom

Website

https://auroratelecom.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Aurora Telecom is a division of Ireland's state-owned Gas Networks Ireland that owns and operates the country's largest open-access dark fibre network (1,600km across 15 counties). It provides dark fibre, co-location, data centre inter-connectivity, and subsea cable landing services to telecom carriers, hyperscale data centres, and large enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813), Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Wavelength, Spectrum & Dark Fiber Providers (IRU/Leases) (HDAIALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Open-Access Fiber Network Operators (Wholesale-Only) (HDAIACAF), Subsea & Terrestrial Backhaul to Data Centers and Cloud On-Ramps (IX/DC Interconnect) (HDAIALAJ), Network Backbone & Core IP Transport (Long-Haul/Metro IP) (HDAIAFAG)

Keywords

• Dark fibre network
• Co-location services
• Data centre interconnect
• Subsea cable connectivity
• National backhaul fibre

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Dark Fibre Leasing: Lease of unused optical fibre cables where customers activate ('light') the fibre with their own equipment, gaining full control over bandwidth, security, scalability and performance. Both standard lease and long-term Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) options are available.
2. Co-location Services: Professional infrastructure facilities to house networking equipment and optical amplifiers. Includes power redundancy (UPS, generators), climate control, security, and monitoring. Customers avoid cost of building and managing their own facilities.
3. Data Centre Inter-connectivity: Dark fibre solutions connecting data centres across Ireland, providing physically isolated optical paths for enhanced data security, disaster recovery connectivity, and consistent low latency.
4. Subsea Cable Connectivity: Connectivity solutions for subsea cable operators connecting cable landing stations (CLS) to other CLS locations or data centres, with co-location space available for housing network equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aurora Telecom builds, owns, and operates Ireland's largest open-access dark fibre network — a 1,600km national backhaul spanning 15 counties in ring topology using Corning G.652.D low-loss single-mode fibre. The company sells four recurring infrastructure services to enterprise customers: dark fibre leases (standard or long-term IRU), co-location facilities housing customer networking and in-line amplification equipment, data centre inter-connectivity with physically isolated optical paths, and cable landing station (CLS) connectivity for subsea cable operators. Customers light and manage the fibre with their own equipment, gaining full control over bandwidth, protocols, and security.

Product overview

Aurora Telecom is Ireland's leading backhaul dark fibre and co-location service provider operating a portfolio of four core infrastructure services: (1) Dark fibre — dedicated, high-capacity optical fibre that customers lease and light themselves, gaining full control over bandwidth and protocols; (2) Co-location — purpose-built facilities at ~80km intervals across the network for housing customer networking equipment and in-line amplification equipment; (3) Data centre inter-connectivity — dark fibre solutions connecting key data centres across Ireland; and (4) Subsea cable connectivity — cable landing station (CLS) connectivity linking subsea cable operators to data centres and the national network. The four products are offered as a unified open-access infrastructure stack, with customers able to procure individual services or combine them for end-to-end connectivity solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dark fibre High-capacity, resilient, and scalable national dark fibre network offering superior performance and security. Customers lease the fibre and light it themselves, retaining full control over the network, protocols, bandwidth, and equipment. Supports point-to-point, point-to-multi-point, and fibre ring configurations at metro or national level across the Irish network, available via standard lease or long-term IRU.
• Co-location Best-in-class co-location facilities at key locations across the Irish fibre network, with UPS, DC battery backup, and emergency diesel generators ensuring resiliency and eliminating downtime. Purpose-built facilities accommodate in-line amplification (ILA) equipment for backhaul services and customer networking hardware, with remote Building Management System monitoring covering fire controls, air conditioning, power, and temperature.
• Data centre inter-connectivity Dark fibre solution connecting all key data centres in Ireland, providing a dedicated, physically isolated optical path that enhances data security, disaster recovery connectivity, and consistent low latency. Designed for hyperscale data centre operators, cloud service providers, and large enterprises requiring high-capacity inter-site links.
• Subsea cable connectivity CLS connectivity services in Ireland for subsea cable operators. Provides dark fibre solutions from CLS to CLS, CLS to data centres, or CLS to other points on Aurora's national fibre network, with co-location space available at key cable landing stations across Ireland. Connects Irish CLS sites including Cork (EXA Express, CIX Cork), Galway (IRIS), Mayo (Havfrue/AEC-2, AEC-1), East Coast North (Havhingsten/CC-2), Dublin (CC-1), and East Coast South (Solas, Beaufort).

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.999% network availability across Dublin Metro and National Network
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ESB TelecomscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2025New commercial agreement allowing both organisations to access and integrate each other's fibre networks. Provides customers with enhanced reach and resilience, removing the need for new infrastructure development. Aligns with sustainability goals by reducing civil works impact. Combined networks give customers access to two of Ireland's largest fibre networks.
• Irish Academic Institution (Unnamed)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership conducting quantum encryption trials for enhanced network security. Quantum encryption technology being explored to strengthen infrastructure security capabilities.
• Circet IrelandcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPrimary civil works contractor for duct installation and fibre network construction. Collaboration on network expansions including Westport and Castlebar fibre extension, Galway expansion, and Sandyford Industrial Estate metro network. Also partnered on community tree planting initiative.
• Westport Tidy TownsminorOthersCommunity partnership for environmental sustainability. Jointly planted native Irish trees at McBride Community Nursing Home in Westport as part of biodiversity initiative.
• Gas Networks IrelandcoreOthersAurora Telecom is a division of Gas Networks Ireland, a state-owned company. Leverages Gas Networks Ireland's expertise, infrastructure access, and surveillance capabilities. Gas Networks Ireland manages national gas networks while Aurora manages strategic telecoms infrastructure.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ESB Telecoms: ESB Telecoms operates Ireland's other major fibre network, focused on wholesale and enterprise dark fibre. It is Aurora's most direct peer and strategic integration partner, giving combined access to two of Ireland's largest fibre footprints.
• euNetworks: euNetworks is a Western European wholesale fibre operator offering dark fibre, wavelength, and colocation across 17+ cities. Comparable as a wholesale-only, infrastructure-led fibre operator serving carriers, DCs, and hyperscalers.
• Colt Technology Services: Colt owns and operates a deep on-net fibre footprint across Europe and Asia serving enterprise, carrier, and DC customers. Comparable as a dedicated fibre/network operator with enterprise sales motion and lit + dark fibre offerings.
• Zayo Group: Zayo operates one of the largest independent dark fibre networks in North America and Europe, serving carriers, hyperscalers, and enterprises. Highly comparable on wholesale dark fibre, long-haul backbone, and DC interconnect plays.
• Neos Networks: Neos Networks (formerly SSE Telecoms) operates a UK-wide business-grade fibre network serving carriers, DCs, and public sector. Comparable as a national open-access fibre operator with utility heritage and wholesale enterprise focus.
• Aqua Comms: Aqua Comms owns and operates subsea cable systems (AEConnect, Havfrue/AEC-2) connecting Ireland, the US, and Northern Europe. Comparable as a subsea cable and fibre operator using CLS facilities in Ireland, with overlapping CLS-connectivity customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Vodafone Ireland: Vodafone Ireland is an incumbent quad-play operator owning significant fibre and mobile backhaul. Overlaps with Aurora on enterprise backhaul and wholesale fibre, but competes across mobile and broadband rather than specializing in dark fibre only.
• Eir (eircom): Eir is Ireland's incumbent fixed-line operator with the largest retail fibre footprint. It competes with Aurora on wholesale backhaul as a broad incumbent with full portfolio (retail broadband, mobile, enterprise) rather than dark-fibre pure-play.
• Lumen Technologies: Lumen operates a global fibre and IP backbone, including subsea cable assets and enterprise connectivity services. Comparable as a broad incumbent in long-haul fibre and DC interconnect, but operating at much larger global scale.

Regional players

• HEAnet: HEAnet is Ireland's national research and education network, procuring dark fibre from Aurora. As an established Irish public-sector network buyer/operator, it represents the research and education ecosystem Aurora serves, though it is a customer rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInie.linkedin.com/showcase/aurora-telecom-

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aurora Telecom