What open eir does

Open Eir is the wholesale broadband infrastructure arm of eir (eircom Limited) and Ireland's largest full fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network operator. The company builds and maintains the country's largest fibre network — over 50,000 kilometres of fibre, more than 1,200 exchanges, 600+ NGN core nodes, and 1.4–1.5 million premises passed across all 26 counties of Ireland — delivering wholesale broadband access to over 30 retail service providers and 47 data providers who bundle the network with their own TV, Internet, and Voice services. Underlying technology includes WDM (Wavelength Division Multiplexing) capacity optimisation and an All-IP Next Generation Core Network offering speeds up to 5Gbps today with a 10Gbps upgrade path over the same physical connection. The product portfolio spans Bitstream, Next Generation Access, Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA), Local Loop Unbundling, leased lines and ethernet (Telco Solutions), national and international voice, and managed services — all governed by standardised Reference Offers (RIO, ARO, WBARO, LLRO, PIARO) and supported by the Unified Gateway order management platform and a 40-person dedicated wholesale customer care team (oeCC).

Open Eir's business model is wholesale-only B2B infrastructure access: the company does not sell directly to end consumers. Pricing is negotiated through regulated Reference Offers rather than published retail tariffs, and revenue is generated on a recurring subscription/usage basis from RSPs and enterprise data customers. Over €500 million has been invested directly by Open Eir in fixed network infrastructure, with parent eir group committing more than €1 billion to build Ireland's largest full-fibre network under alignment with the Government's National Broadband Plan, which targets universal gigabit access by end of 2028. Customer segments include retail service providers (Vodafone, Sky, Three, Pure Telecom, Digiweb, ENET, Imagine, Magnet+, eir Retail), business and enterprise customers (via Telco Solutions and the Property Developer Programme for new builds and retrofits), and wholesale international traffic. The company employs over 1,000 people across Ireland and is registered as a branch of eircom Limited (incorporated in Jersey), headquartered at Citywest Business Campus, Dublin 24.

Name

open eir

Legal name

eircom Limited

Website

https://openeir.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Open Eir is Ireland's largest wholesale fibre-to-the-home infrastructure provider, operating a 50,000+ km full fibre network passing 1.5M+ premises. A subsidiary of eir, it sells wholesale network access to over 30 retail service providers and 47 data providers across Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Telecommunications Infrastructure

akta.pro primary industry

Open-Access Fiber Network Operators (Wholesale-Only) (HDAIACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Carrier Ethernet Services (E-Line/E-LAN/E-Tree) (HDAIAFAC)

Keywords

• Wholesale broadband infrastructure
• Fibre network services
• Telecommunications infrastructure
• Wholesale network access
• Fibre-to-the-home wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Network Access: Open Eir generates revenue by providing wholesale access to its fibre network infrastructure to retail service providers. The company sells physical network connections and infrastructure access rather than retail consumer services. Operators pay for network access and usage rights.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Open eir is Ireland's largest wholesale broadband infrastructure provider, building and maintaining the country's largest full fibre-to-the-home network spanning over 50,000 kilometres of fibre across all 26 counties. The company sells wholesale network access to over 30 retail service providers and 47 data providers, enabling them to deliver broadband, TV, voice, and enterprise data services to more than 1.5 million homes and businesses. Open eir does not sell retail services directly to end consumers; customers purchase connectivity through retail service providers who bundle open eir's network with their own Internet, TV, and Voice products.

Product overview

Open eir is Ireland's largest wholesale broadband provider operating a multi-product portfolio of telecommunications infrastructure and services. The core offering consists of full fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network infrastructure branded as Gigabit Fibre, delivering speeds up to 5Gbps currently (10Gbps capable) across 1.5+ million premises. This network is accessed by approximately 30 retail service providers through multiple wholesale products including: Bitstream and Next Generation Access for broadband connectivity; Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) for passive network element access; Local Loop Unbundling for copper loop services; and voice products including National Traffic, Single Billing Wholesale Line Rental, and Product Migrations. The portfolio also includes enterprise data services (Leased Lines, Ethernet) under Telco Solutions, and international services. Supporting infrastructure includes the Unified Gateway order management system, the oeCC customer care service, and developer/property services for new builds and retrofits. Reference offers (RIO, ARO, WBARO, LLRO, PIARO) provide standardized contractual frameworks for wholesale customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bitstream Wholesale broadband bitstream access product allowing retail service providers to offer broadband services over open eir's fibre network to their end customers.
• Local Loop Unbundling Wholesale product enabling retail operators to access the local copper loop for the delivery of broadband and voice services to end customers.
• Next Generation Access Fibre-based wholesale access products for next generation broadband services including fibre-to-the-home (FTTH), enabling retail operators to deliver high-speed broadband.
• Physical Infrastructure Access (PIA) Passive infrastructure access product enabling operators to use open eir's ducts, poles, and cabinets for their own network deployment.
• Gigabit Fibre Full fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network providing gigabit broadband speeds up to 5Gbps currently with capability for 10Gbps, serving over 1.5 million homes and businesses across all 26 counties of Ireland.
• Digital Phone Lines Digital voice services replacing traditional copper landlines, enabling voice calls over open eir's fibre network infrastructure for retail service providers and their customers.
• Telco Solutions Business data connectivity solutions including wholesale network access, leased lines, and ethernet services for enterprise customers, leveraging over 1,200 exchanges and 54,000+ km of fibre backbone.
• National Traffic Wholesale voice traffic services for national call termination and origination provided to retail service providers.
• Single Billing Wholesale Line Rental Wholesale line rental service with consolidated billing for retail operators, enabling simplified invoicing for line rental services.
• International Wholesale international voice and data services for traffic termination and origination with international carriers and operators.
• Managed Services Managed network and infrastructure services for wholesale customers, providing outsourced operational support for telecom operators.
• New Data Products Wholesale data connectivity services for business customers including ethernet services and leased line solutions provided over the fibre backbone.
• Unified Gateway Wholesale order management and fault handling platform that accepts orders via FTP, SFTP, web access, and web services interface for retail service providers.
• Open eir Customer Care (oeCC) Dedicated wholesale customer care team of 40 people handling order management and fault queries for retail service providers.
• New Housing Developments Fibre deployment planning and connection services for new housing developments, enabling fibre connectivity to be installed during construction.
• Multi-dwelling Units Fibre connection services for apartment buildings and multi-dwelling units, including an invisible fibre solution for existing properties.
• Single Dwellings Fibre connection planning and installation for individual new homes, providing fibre infrastructure for standalone residential properties.
• Landlords Facility Managers Retrofit fibre solutions for existing property developments designed to deliver fibre connectivity with minimal disruption to residents.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.4 million homes and businesses can access gigabit fibre broadband
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ImaginecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 March 2026Imagine signed a multimillion euro, three-year agreement with Open Eir to access its fibre and mobile networks, expanding its presence in Ireland's 5G broadband market. The partnership includes access to Open Eir's fibre infrastructure, mobile network, and over 170 Points of Presence to improve connectivity for Imagine's customers.
• VodafonecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorVodafone is one of over 30 retail service providers that sell broadband, TV, and voice services over Open Eir's fibre network to residential and business customers in Ireland.
• Sky IrelandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSky Ireland offers broadband services to Irish consumers and businesses using Open Eir's wholesale fibre network infrastructure.
• Three IrelandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThree Ireland provides mobile and broadband services over Open Eir's full fibre network as one of the major retail service provider partners.
• Pure TelecomcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPure Telecom is an Irish telecom provider offering residential and business broadband services via Open Eir's wholesale fibre network, having connected over 1,000 SMEs.
• eir RetailcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributoreir is both parent company and a retail service provider selling broadband services over Open Eir's wholesale fibre network infrastructure.
• Irish Government (National Broadband Plan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen Eir's fibre investments are aligned with the Government's National Broadband Plan, which aims to ensure every home and business in Ireland has access to high-speed gigabit broadband by the end of 2028.
• 30+ Retail Service ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorComplete list includes: Vodafone, Sky, IP Telecom, Airwire, Aptus Fibre, Three, GoMo, BBnet, Blacknight Solutions, Atlantek Computers, DigitalWell, Digiweb, ENET, elio networks, fastcom, IFA Telecom, Imagine, Ivertec, Lightnet, MTS Media, Magnet+, Net1.ie, Prepay Power, Pure Telecom, Regional Broadband, Radius (Telcom), Wireless Connect, Westnet, Viatel, and eir.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Open Dutch Fiber: Open Dutch Fiber builds and operates wholesale-only FTTH networks in the Netherlands, providing open access to multiple ISPs including KPN and T-Mobile. Operationally analogous to Open Eir's wholesale-only Irish fibre model.
• Virgin Media Ireland: Virgin Media Ireland operates a competing fibre/coaxial broadband network reaching hundreds of thousands of Irish premises. It offers both retail and wholesale services, directly overlapping with Open Eir's footprint and RSP partnerships.
• CityFibre: CityFibre is the UK's largest alternative wholesale full-fibre platform, currently passing millions of premises and serving over 70 RSPs. It operates the same wholesale-only FTTH model as Open Eir, monetizing via bitstream and PIA products.
• SIRO: SIRO is a wholesale-only fibre network operator in Ireland, a joint venture between Vodafone and ESB. Like Open Eir, SIRO builds FTTH infrastructure and sells wholesale access to retail ISPs, competing directly in the same Irish open-access fibre market.
• Deutsche Glasfaser: Deutsche Glasfaser is a leading alternative wholesale fibre operator in Germany, building FTTH networks primarily in rural and semi-urban areas and selling wholesale access to retail ISPs. Comparable in scale and business model to Open Eir.
• FibreCop: FibreCop is TIM's (Telecom Italia) wholesale fibre infrastructure vehicle in Italy, spun out to provide passive and active wholesale fibre access to Italian RSPs under regulated Reference Offers - structurally very similar to Open Eir's wholesale model.
• National Broadband Ireland (NBI): NBI is the Irish Government-appointed contractor delivering fibre under the National Broadband Plan Intervention Area. While focused on rural premises where Open Eir is also building, NBI represents a parallel wholesale fibre infrastructure effort with similar regulatory positioning.
• nexfibre: nexfibre is a UK wholesale fibre joint venture between Liberty Global, Telefónica, and InfraVia building FTTH to 5 million UK premises by 2026. Like Open Eir, it sells wholesale access exclusively to retail ISPs such as Virgin Media O2.

Others

• eir (Retail): eir is Open Eir's parent company and the largest retail ISP on its wholesale network. While technically the parent, eir's retail operations compete with Open Eir's other 29 RSP customers, making it both a strategic owner and a vertically integrated counterparty that shapes Open Eir's commercial dynamics.

Broad incumbents

• BT Openreach: Openreach is the UK's dominant wholesale-only fibre/copper network operator serving over 690 RSPs. It is the closest international analog to Open Eir's wholesale-only, regulated, Reference Offer-based business model and is part of the wider BT Group.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/openeir
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/openeir

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 open eir