Cellnex to deliver Ireland’s first national Internet of Things network & completes Three Ireland portfolio integration

Cellnex, the largest independent telecoms infrastructure operator in Ireland, is targeting 80% coverage of the country with Ireland’s first national Internet of Things (IoT) network by the end of this year. Through its partnership with Everynet, Cellnex will bring a new nationwide low power wide area (LoRaWAN) network to all major cities by the end of December.

The rollout of the LoRaWAN network will enable Cellnex to work with Public Bodies and private businesses across the country on their IoT requirements which can include:  asset tracking, building and energy management, air and water quality monitoring, waste management, and parking validation.

The network will build on the successes of a pilot project launched in Edenderry, Co Offaly last year in which the town became the first in Ireland to use LoRaWAN technology to help deliver solutions to monitor disabled parking bays, bin level sensors,  air quality monitoring and tracking energy use in public buildings.

Cellnex Group  has extensive experience in delivering complex connectivity projects throughout Europe, including coverage solutions for the Madrid and Paris metros, and delivering distributed antenna systems (DAS) to improve mobile coverage  for fans at major sporting stadiums, including Manchester City’s Etihad stadium and the San Siro, home of AC Milan and Inter Milan.

Cellnex Ireland has already delivered DAS solutions in large retail chains to help improve the instore customer experience. They are also working with large hotel chains and property developers to incorporate leading edge connectivity solutions across both their existing properties and on all major new office and apartment developments.

Cellnex Ireland has over 70 customers including all the Irish mobile operators, the broadcast & emergency services, and a range of local wireless operators who provide vital connectivity solutions through every county in the country. As Cellnex expands its service offering the customer profile is evolving to include public bodies, utility providers, leading players in the hospitality, retail, transport, manufacturing and construction sectors, all of whom are looking for connectivity solutions to address coverage issues.

Paul Delaney, IoT Lead and Sales Director, Cellnex Ireland said:

“Our new IoT network will lead to the internet of things becoming a practical and positive reality in every day life, transforming the way in which a huge range of services can be operated and managed. The partnership in Edenderry launched last year is just the tip of the iceberg of what can be achieved in delivering applications from monitoring parking spaces to measuring air quality, and will drive efficiencies in the delivery of public services. We will be able to leverage Cellnex’s experience across Europe to deliver innovative solutions for our customers in Ireland.”

Over the past 12 months, Cellnex has tripled the size of its portfolio in Ireland, having completed the integration of the 1,150 towers it acquired from Three Ireland in January 2021. This acquisition was part of a €10bn pan-European acquisition of the assets from Hutchinson by the Cellnex Group, and brings the combined operation in Ireland to over 1,800 sites.

Cellnex entered the Irish market in 2019 through its acquisition of the Cignal Infrastructure business and committed to delivering 600 new sites by 2026. This programme is on track, with 300 sites delivered to date despite the challenges posed by Covid-19 lockdowns over the past two years and the resulting delays to planning permissions and construction.

Over €60m has been invested in the business in Ireland since its launch in 2015 (excluding 3 Ireland site acquisition), and Cellnex plans to continue to invest in the core infrastructure business whilst also investing to support the business’s diversification into IoT and Smart City initiatives as well as DAS and Private Network solutions.

Colin Cunningham, Managing Director of Cellnex Ireland said:

“The integration of the Three tower portfolio in Ireland has more than tripled our portfolio and cemented our position as the country’s leading provider of connectivity infrastructure.  We have built strong relationships with all our customers & stakeholders based on our proven ability to deliver on our commitments.

“Our ambition is to continue to grow our core business but also to accelerate our diversification into IoT and DAS solutions, leveraging our Group’s expertise to meet the ever-increasing needs of public & private businesses for innovative real world connectivity solutions that drive efficiencies.”

The Covid-19 lockdown showed how vital Ireland’s communications infrastructure is, enabling the nation to work, shop and school from home. In May 2021, Cellnex launched its Get Connected programme in Laois and Offaly and by year-end had extended the programme to 10 counties. With Get Connected, Cellnex seeks to engage with local communities to identify rural blackspots and to work with them to identify a suitable solution to address the coverage gap.

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