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Lunch & Learn 2026: Sustainable Telecoms Infrastructure for a Low Carbon Built Environment

The built environment is rapidly evolving and so are the legal and sustainability requirements surrounding digital infrastructure.

This Lunch & Learn will explore the Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA) and what it means for the delivery of telecoms infrastructure in Ireland from February 2026. The GIA introduces new EU-wide rules that place legal and delivery obligations on developers, with significant implications for planning, design, and construction processes.

This session will also examine how shared and open-access digital infrastructure models can support:

    Reduced embodied carbon
    Lower material use
    Less site disruption
    Improved long-term resilience and connectivity

Attendees will gain clarity on how digital infrastructure decisions can directly support low-carbon, future-ready residential development.

Progress

Success

Conversion

Income

Why This Matters

The Gigabit Infrastructure Act (EU Regulation 2024/1309) promotes:

    Shared use of infrastructure
    Coordinated network deployment
    Reduced duplication and excavation
    More efficient material use

These measures align closely with circularity and sustainability principles in construction.

Through a practical case example, this session will demonstrate how open-access fibre infrastructure can help developers meet compliance requirements while improving sustainability outcomes and maintaining choice for residents.

What You Will Gain

    Clear insight into the Gigabit Infrastructure Act and its implications from February 2026
    Understanding of how shared telecoms infrastructure supports carbon reduction and resource efficiency
    Practical guidance on integrating future-ready connectivity into sustainable development strategies
    A real-world example of compliant, open-access fibre infrastructure in practice

Speaker

Built environment
Barry McWeeney
Head of New Developments, SIRO

Barry has extensive experience across civil engineering and telecommunications. He previously held roles in KTL and Vodafone before joining SIRO in 2016. Now Head of New Developments, Barry leads the delivery of fibre infrastructure to new developments nationwide. He holds a BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering from IT Sligo.

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