With a population of 4.78mn and 4.9mn mobile connections, 60% of Ireland’s 4,000 telecom towers sit in the hands of the country’s three MNOs leaving the remaining 40% in the hands of independent tower companies, broadcast operators and public sector players. With no one dominant tower company, the market is ripe for consolidation as ambitious towercos look to get a foothold in the region. December’s announcement of the National Broadband Plan, coupled with the consolidation from four to three MNOs following 3’s acquisition of O2, creates new opportunities and challenges for towercos in the market.
How many towers are there in Ireland?
There are currently 4,000 towers in the Irish market, of which 60% sit in the hands of the three incumbent MNOs - Vodafone, Meteor (owned by Eir, previously known as Eircom) and 3 (Hutchison) who have just recently acquired O2 (Telefónica).
