eir reports steady Q1 growth as fibre & mobile rise

eir reported first-quarter revenue of €313 million and EBITDA of €138 million, in line with expectations.

The Irish telecoms group also recorded continued growth in its fibre broadband and mobile customer bases during the quarter, with fibre connections rising to 898,000 and total mobile customers reaching 1.601 million.

Revenue increased 1% year on year, or €3 million, while EBITDA was unchanged from the same period last year. Operating costs fell 4% to €101 million, and cash on the balance sheet stood at €73 million.

Customer growth remained a central feature of the quarter. Fibre broadband users increased by 14,000 from a year earlier, bringing 96% of eir's broadband base onto its fibre network. That equates to a 40% penetration rate of premises passed with eir fibre broadband.

Its mobile business also expanded, with the overall base rising by 78,000 customers year on year. Postpay subscribers grew by 95,000 to 1.317 million, accounting for 82% of the mobile base.

Bundled services also increased. Some 61% of fixed households now take triple- or quad-play packages, up four percentage points from a year earlier, while 95% of fixed consumer households take bundles with at least two products.

Network reach

More than 1.5 million premises across Ireland can now connect to eir's fibre-to-the-home network, up 143,000 from a year earlier. Across its combined fibre-to-the-home and fibre-to-the-cabinet infrastructure, 2.2 million premises can access the network, representing 98% of premises in Ireland.

The group's television base also edged higher, with eir TV customers rising by 4,000 year-on-year to 116,000.

eir described fibre and mobile as the main drivers of commercial momentum and pointed to lower operating costs, with both pay and non-pay costs declining by €2 million year on year.

eir, which operates fixed, mobile and wholesale telecoms businesses in Ireland, generated reported revenue of €1.350 billion and adjusted EBITDA of €640 million in 2025. Current trading shows continuing organic revenue growth, it said.

Opensignal recently named eir's mobile network Ireland's No.1 network for both 5G Coverage Experience and 5G Availability, according to the company.

"Q1 2026 was an important quarter for eir, where we not only delivered solid financial results and operational performance, but we also passed a landmark 1.5 million homes and businesses with our high-speed fibre network. Alongside this, eir's mobile network was named by Opensignal as Ireland's No.1 network for both 5G Coverage Experience and 5G Availability," Chief Executive Oliver Loomes said.

"Our strategy of sustained network investment and customer focus continues to yield results, reflected in the growth of both our mobile and fibre broadband bases. With 1.601 million mobile customers - an increase of 78,000 year on year - and just under 900,000 customers on our fibre network, we are consolidating our position as Ireland's leading connectivity provider."

"Our fibre rollout now delivers future-proof Gigabit connectivity across Ireland and it is the cornerstone of sustainable, future-ready connectivity."

"As customer demand evolves, we're continuing to enhance our product offering, with 61% of eir households now choosing triple or quad-play bundles. This reflects growing confidence in eir's integrated approach - combining broadband, mobile, voice, and entertainment to deliver a seamless experience. We remain focused on connecting more communities, expanding choice and driving Ireland's digital future," said Loomes.

The company also outlined the scale of its investment programme during the quarter, saying it continues to roll out fibre-to-the-home and 5G under a €2 billion capital investment programme.

Chief Financial Officer Stephen Tighe said, "Our performance in the first quarter of 2026 was in line with expectations. We saw growth across the eir fibre broadband base and in total mobile customers, with a further increase seen in the multi-play bundling of eir fixed households. Our solid commercial momentum is now delivering organic revenue growth on a consistent basis."

"We have continued rolling out our fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and 5G technologies as part of our €2 billion capital investment programme. Both our fibre rollout and our 5G networks continue to expand at pace."

"With eir's fibre network now available to more than 1.5 million homes and businesses, and our next-generation 5G network reaching 99% of the population to deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity across nearly every corner of Ireland, this large-scale investment positions us to grow our customer base by offering high-quality, high-value products over the coming years," said Tighe.