Galway Technology Centre Launch 1Gbps fibre internet

GTC has become the first technology and innovation centre in the West of Ireland to provide a 1Gbps fibre internet service to the 40 globally focused digital enterprises based at the centre.These enterprises, who create solutions in software, gaming, design, intellectual property, media and communications, will now have access to the fastest internet in the region.
 
In collaboration with Galway based internet service provider Lightnet, the expansion of bandwidth will be launched at the centre on the 4th of April at “Intellectual Porridge”; an Intellectual Property (IP) event hosted by resident IP experts Keltie and Flynn O’Driscoll.
 
Finn Krewer, Head of Development at 9th Impact, an award winning game development studio based at Galway Technology Centre (GTC), explains how this service will enable them to achieve their international growth ambitions:
“Every day tens of thousands of people from all over the world play 9th Impact games on their mobile phones with 98% of our player base located outside of Ireland. The games communicate with our servers – sending and receiving information, so having super-fast and reliable broadband connection is critical to our business.
Our newest game, launching next July, is a live multiplayer racing game which has significantly higher real-time communications demands so we are thrilled to have a world class fibre connection direct to our door. The 1Gbps connection will allow 9th Impact to continue to expand globally from our HQ at the GTC.”
 
Currently completing a €400,000 investment in the 50,000 square foot facility, Galway Technology Centre has its own culture of continuous innovation. In 2006 they were the first centre to provide fibre broadband services in the region which led to a partnership with CISCO in 2008 to make a world class VOIP service available to the globally focused startups and enterprises based at the centre.
“The expansion of our fibre connection to 1Gbps is in anticipation of the future needs of our clients who use the internet for cloud applications, storage, backup, collaboration and video conferencing. This increased capacity, which more than triples our current service, is an example of how we deliver on our mission to enable the global growth of ambitious startups and enterprises.”
–   Niamh Costello, General Manager, GTC
 
Over the past 20 years, GTC has been used as a soft landing base for multinational companies. In 2016 alone, US headquartered companies Wayfair, IPSwitch and Mathworks exited GTC and are now employing in excess of 250 people locally.
“GTC has been a critical landing centre for foreign multinationals seeking to establish or expand their reach in European markets. This infrastructure ensures that our clients have uninterrupted and on demand access to global operations during these expansions.”
– Catherina Blewitt, IDA West Regional Manager
 
Caroline Ryan, Sales Manager at Lightnet commented:
“Internet traffic continues to grow at an astonishing pace, we at Lightnet are delighted to be able to partner with GTC to provide unrivaled connectivity; their progress and innovation is a hugely positive step in increasing the technology vitality of the West of Ireland and we are delighted to be part of their success.”

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