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Viatel and Digiweb Join Forces to create Pan European Telecom and IT Services Group

May 14, 2013 – 10:14 pm


Viatel and Digiweb Join Forces to create Pan European Telecom and IT Services Group

Digiweb Group are pleased to announce today that Viatel and VTLWaveNet have joined its group, creating a pan-European full-service telecommunications provider, with operations in United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy.

Digiweb, headquartered in Dublin, is a leading ICT and managed solutions provider, offering multi-site MPLS data networks, IP and traditional voice services, cloud computing, and data centre services to its enterprise, wholesale and government clients.

Viatel, operating from London, provides critical fibre connectivity, high speed bandwidth and managed services to blue-chip carrier, corporate and government clients across Europe, having invested $1.5bn in constructing Europe’s leading low latency independent carrier fibre and duct network, connecting 34 cities over 8,500km of network.

Certain  investors in Viatel including Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC  are rolling their investment in Viatel into Digiweb Group, and investing additional equity, which will fund the introduction of new services to its expanded client base.  The group will continue to seek opportunities for consolidation in the market to deliver differentiated, exceptional service offerings leveraging wholly owned independent infrastructure.

Colm Piercy, Group CEO of Digiweb, said “We see a strong opportunity for cross border consolidation in the telecoms sector in Europe in parallel with the explosion in high bandwidth connectivity demand, and this transaction is the first step in positioning our Group to take advantage of those trends.  Digiweb has always had a philosophy of challenging the status quo and we plan on stepping that up following this marriage of Digiweb’s entrepreneurial culture with Viatel’s service and network excellence, and the combined expertise of our enlarged team”. 

The Group will continue to be led by CEO Colm Piercy, with Lucy Woods, the outgoing Viatel CEO joining the Board of Directors of Digiweb Group.

“Lucy brings a significant wealth of experience to our Board, as in addition to leading Viatel, she has previously built and developed large scale businesses as CEO (EMEA) of MCI WorldCom and prior to that as CEO of BT Ireland.  Lucy’s guidance will be instrumental to our ongoing expansion and achieving our strategic objective of enhancing and deepening our services to our clients” said Colm Piercy.  

Lucy Woods welcomed the news, stating “This is an exciting time for Viatel and its clients, this combination of products, skills and expertise gives the business great opportunities to expand and to create shareholder value”

The Digiweb Group will now deliver an extensive portfolio of Managed, Voice and Data services over metro fibre networks in 12 of Europe’s largest cities and financial centres and at 185 Points of Presence over its wholly-owned independent fibre across 8 countries. The group also operates 2 diverse submarine cables, and offers key connectivity on routes across Ireland, UK and continental Europe, with close proximity to African and Asian fibre landing stations.

The Group’s carrier and wholesale business will operate under the Viatel and VTLWavenet brands, while the enterprise and retail business divisions will trade as Digiweb. With a combined workforce of 200 and revenues of $78 million the Group generates operating profits exceeding $10 million annually.



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Digiweb launch Ireland’s fastest satellite broadband – 20Mb everywhere now

February 5, 2013 – 4:15 pm


Digiweb Ireland’s largest independent telecommunications company today announced a new range of Tooway™ Satellite Broadband packages delivering the fastest satellite-based consumer broadband speeds in Europe.

Designed to offer high speed broadband to everyone today, these next generation satellite services will satisfy even the most demanding Internet users – further closing the digital divide for consumers.

The new packages will ensure that Ireland’s digitally deprived properties can instantly access, whatever their location, the benefits of high speed broadband, including applications such as film downloads, heavy file uploads and video chat that are now standard user expectations.

The new packages, with prices from €32.95 ex vat, will be available from February 1st and will offer across the board download speeds of 20 Mbps and upload speeds of 6 Mbps, making it the fastest satellite broadband service in Europe.

To address growing demand for increased data allowances for video and multimedia services, Digiweb via its agreements with Eutelsat are also introducing a true unlimited data service, called Tooway™ Absolute, this limited package will be available to the first 20,000 customers across Europe.

Declan Campbell, Head of Operations, Digiweb, said “this is excellent news for Ireland as so much of our country’s growth is dependent on the digital economy and it is crucial that businesses and indeed homeowners, have access to high quality internet connectivity. With download speeds of 20 Mbps now available through Tooway™, consumers will have the certainty of secure, always-on, high quality broadband”.

- ENDS –

About Eutelsat Communications (www.eutelsat.com)
With capacity commercialised on 30 satellites delivering reach of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, significant parts of the Americas and Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) is one of the world’s leading satellite operators. As of 30 September 2012 Eutelsat’s satellites were broadcasting more than 4,400 television channels to over 200 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group’s satellites also provide a wide range of services for TV contribution, corporate networks and fixed and mobile broadband. Using KA-SAT, Europe’s first High Throughput Satellite, Eutelsat Broadband, a business unit of Eutelsat provides broadband services for consumers, enterprises and public agencies across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin who are unserved or underserved by terrestrial networks. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ over 750 commercial, technical and operational professionals from 30 countries.

Photo: Declan Campbell, Digiweb Head of Operation with one of the new Satellites



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Digiweb completes successful investment round

November 13, 2012 – 4:00 pm

Digiweb completes successful investment round

  • €14.5 million new investment completed in Digiweb
  • Digiweb pursuing expansion through organic growth, channel partnership and acquisition
  • Currently completing 2012 recruitment programme of 25 new positions

Digiweb, Ireland’s largest independent telecommunications company has announced the successful completion of a €14.5 million round of investment into the company.

Group CEO & Founder Colm Piercy said “this investment builds on a successful year to date as we continue to grow our market share as a one-stop business services provider, launch and rapidly grow our wholesale services division, and are now positioned for expansion in Ireland and Europe, while further reducing overall debt. The €14.5 million package combines new equity investment and new bank lending and is a strong endorsement of our leading position and profitability in our markets.”

On foot of the investment, Digiweb debt reduces to €5.7 million, against projected Revenues and EBITDA of circa €40 million and €8 million respectively, positioning Digiweb as a flexible business services provider ready to avail of opportunities as they arise in Ireland and abroad.

Colm Piercy said “we look forward to working with Brian Kelly and his Quay Ventures team following their investment in Digiweb. Brian is an experienced technology investor and in welcoming him as Chairman of our Board of Directors I know he will add significantly to our leadership team.”

Speaking about the investment, Brian Kelly of Quay Ventures said “Digiweb are an exciting organisation to work with and to invest in. While we are investing in a Group with a great track record and strong balance sheet, more importantly we are investing in a company that has a great vision and ambition. This is directly in line with our strategy in these difficult times to invest in successful operators in Irish business sectors whom are likely to emerge bigger, better and stronger”.

As part of the overall investment round, new business lending has been provided by Ulster Bank. According to Group CEO Colm Piercy “this is a strong vote of confidence in our team at Digiweb who have produced excellent year round customer service, growth and results. Ulster Bank is a brand new banking relationship for Digiweb, and we welcome their vision in current times in providing substantial new facilities to a new customer as we position ourselves for future opportunities.”

Commenting on the funding announcement, Eddie Cullen, Head of Corporate & Institutional Banking at Ulster Bank said: “Digiweb has a successful track record of organic and acquisition led growth, despite the challenging economic environment. The company has developed an impressive infrastructure and technology base, which is underpinned by an ambitious and highly capable management team. We are delighted to be able to support Digiweb in the next phase of their development. This kind of funding is crucial to the success of Irish businesses and Ulster Bank is committed to supporting the Irish business community in achieving growth ambitions.”

With this investment round now completed, Digiweb is completing its 2012 recruitment programme of 25 positions, seeking to fill the remaining 10 roles by Christmas. Positions are in Business Sales, Network Engineering, Software Development and Marketing. Over the coming months staff levels will rise to 165, from 140 at the start of the year.


About Digiweb Group

Digiweb is Ireland’s leading independent telecommunications company.  Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Dublin, Digiweb is a full-service national communications and managed services provider. It provides nationwide broadband access, enterprise data networks, data centre and web hosting services, managed services and telephony to residential, business and public sector customers.  By virtue of its national fibre and wireless networks, unbundled exchanges, and satellite services, Digiweb owns and operates Ireland’s largest alternative last-mile access network.

Digiweb Group is led by CEO & founder Colm Piercy, the 2012 winner of the Ernst & Young Industry Entrepreneur of the Year.

About Quay Ventures

Quay Ventures Ltd. hold Irish and overseas investments across a number of sectors. Based in Dublin, the firm is actively seeking investment opportunities at present.

Brian Kelly, Managing Partner at Quay Ventures is an experienced technology investor and was Chairman of and an investor in Data Electronics Group Limited, until 2011, when it was sold to Telecity Group for over €100 million. A graduate of University College Dublin, Brian is a qualified chartered accountant and has over 30 years’ experience in a variety of technology companies and business sectors.

About Ulster Bank

Ulster Bank currently employ over 6000 people, serving the needs of around 1.9 million personal and business customers across the island of Ireland. Ulster Bank is part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group.



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Government rates Digiweb top of the Class (again) " rel="bookmark"> Government rates Digiweb top of the Class (again)

September 16, 2012 – 6:18 pm

Digiweb, Ireland’s largest independent Irish-owned telecommunications company has come out top of the class in the recent Schools Broadband Access Program tender.


 Colm Piercy, Digiweb Group CEO has welcomed the awarding of the largest contract under the program that will see Digiweb connect several thousand schools across Ireland to its high speed internet network.

“Using Digiweb’s high speed metro broadband, DSL and satellite broadband services, we’ll connect over 50% of all Irish schools to the Internet every day – that’s about 300,000 students or about 2,000 schools. Digiweb was involved in a competitive tender with at least 15 other broadband providers who all made detailed submissions to the Department of Education & Skills and I’m thrilled that once again the Government has rated Digiweb top of the class.

Our network will provide schools and students with high speed internet access quickly and safely, and provide incredible opportunities for teachers and students alike, to avail of the most recent advances in technology in the classroom”

It’s understood approximately 10 other companies will share the other schools between them.

According to Colm Piercy Digiweb Group CEO, “winning national connectivity contracts such as this is an endorsement of the quality of our services and our investment in building independent next generation infrastructure nationally.”

School Broadband Provider of Choice since 2005

“Digiweb have been the leading provider of high speed broadband to Irish primary and secondary schools since 2005 and is delighted to continue to play a crucial role in helping to deliver key government objectives in the education sector through the use of ICT. One of the central planks of government policy is integrating ICT into teaching and learning at the earliest possible time at both primary and secondary education. In addition to providing high speed services in cities and urban areas, Digiweb has been pioneering in the manner in which it has connected often rural and isolated schools to the broadband network, ensuring that all students, irrespective of their location, can avail of the benefits of high speed broadband access”, concluded Piercy.

In additional news, Digiweb have also secured a contract to connect a further 27 schools nationally with 100Mbps broadband connectivity, and will have these live for services within coming weeks.



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