Tag: TOBi

Vodafone Ireland €360 million investment as it moves to new Dublin City Centre HQ

Vodafone Ireland announced a further €360 million investment, reinforcing its long-term commitment to Ireland, as it makes final preparations to move to its new headquarters in St Stephen’s Green next week.

The investment includes a further €200 million in its mobile network – building on the company’s €500 million, five-year network investment programme announced in 2023 – and €160 million in digital and IT spend up to 2030.

The announcement was made ahead of the official opening of the new office later today by the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris T.D.  He will be joined at the event by Vodafone Ireland CEO Sabrina Casalta, Vodafone Group Chief External and Corporate Affairs Officer Joakim Reiter, and IDA Ireland’s Global Head of Technology Anne Marie Tierney Le-Roux.

With 2.4 million customers, the company is the fastest-growing broadband provider and number one mobile network in Ireland. Six in ten Irish businesses are Vodafone customers.

New HQ

The company has signed a 15-year lease on the new six-storey, 63,000 sq ft grade A office building, marking the next chapter in Vodafone Ireland’s 25-year presence in the country.

Vodafone’s new office incorporates features such as a green roof that supports biodiversity, rainwater harvesting to reduce water use and on-site solar (PV) technology. The move will contribute to Vodafone Ireland’s 2028 net zero ambition by reducing direct emissions from the heating, cooling and powering of the office, while improved access to public transport and cycling facilities supports a reduction in indirect commuting emissions.

The company remains committed to its hybrid working model, with employees spending between eight and ten days in the office each month. More than 2,000 people work with Vodafone Ireland across its headquarters and 80 retail stores nationwide – over 850 people will be based in the new city centre office.

Fresh Investment

The €200 million network investment is focused on building a smarter, more flexible network that can adapt to how people and businesses will use connectivity in the years ahead.

Crucially, the investment is preparing the network for the next evolution of 5G – delivering faster, more reliable and more responsive connectivity. This will enable next‑generation technologies such as AI, IoT and smart city applications, and is particularly critical for business, industry and manufacturing, where real‑time performance and resilience are essential. By allowing the network to manage traffic more intelligently and prioritise critical services when required, the investment also future‑proofs Ireland’s digital infrastructure for automation, emerging technologies and developments such as satellite‑enabled mobile coverage as the technology continues to evolve.

The company will invest up to €160 million in digital and IT systems over the next four years, supporting the development of next-generation customer platforms, including its digital care assistant Tobi, as well as advances in AI and critical infrastructure upgrades. This follows sustained annual IT investment in recent years, underlining Vodafone’s focus on enhanced customer care and ongoing commitment to digital transformation.

25 years of Investment in Ireland

As the longest-established telecommunications company in Ireland, Vodafone is marking its 25‑year anniversary this year. Since 2001, the company has invested more than €20 billion in the Irish market in today’s terms, including €5.8 billion in capital investment and €6.3 billion contributed to the national exchequer through spectrum licence fees and taxation. Vodafone has invested €24 million in community and digital inclusion initiatives and was the first company to establish a corporate foundation in Ireland.

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Simon Harris T.D. said: “Vodafone’s continued investment is a strong vote of confidence in Ireland and in our future as a digitally connected, open economy. This additional €360 million commitment will strengthen our national infrastructure, support jobs, and ensure businesses and communities across the country can benefit from world‑class connectivity. Investments like this are essential to Ireland’s competitiveness, resilience and longer-term growth.”

Vodafone Ireland CEO Sabrina Casalta said: “This investment underlines our long‑term commitment to Ireland and to the customers and communities we serve. As we move into our new headquarters, we are continuing to strengthen our network and digital capabilities, so customers benefit from fast, reliable and resilient connectivity and an enhanced experience. Building on 25 years at the heart of Ireland’s digital evolution, this programme will support businesses, regional development and the technologies of the future, helping future‑proof Ireland’s digital infrastructure for the years ahead.”

IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan said: “World-class, resilient networks support productivity, innovation and regional competitiveness, which help Ireland win and retain foreign direct investment.  Vodafone’s investment is set to strengthen Ireland’s digital infrastructure and connectivity capacity – an increasingly decisive factor for multinational companies assessing where to locate and scale high‑value operations. IDA Ireland welcomes today’s announcement and looks forward to continuing our strong partnership with Vodafone.”

Recently, Vodafone Ireland has been named “Best in Test” in fixed broadband benchmarking by independent benchmarking organisation umlaut reflecting our continued investments to deliver the best experience for our customers.

Vodafone Ireland’s digital assistant TOBi Learning the Lingo

TOBi, Vodafone Ireland’s award-winning AI-powered self-service assistant, might still be getting to grips with Irish phrases like “acting the maggot” or “sucking diesel” but it is already doing the hard work behind the scenes, helping customers 24/7 with top-ups, billing queries and much more. TOBi now resolves 60% of customer service queries without the need to talk to someone, a milestone in AI-led customer care.
New research conducted amongst 1,000 people on behalf of Vodafone Ireland by Coyne Research shows that AI has officially been adopted by consumers and has become an everyday tool. Almost half of all Irish adults (48%) now use AI weekly, with usage rising to 66% among Gen Z, nearly a quarter of whom use it every day. One in three people are already using AI for customer service, while one in five rely on it to help write something, whether it’s an email, college assignment or social post.
Two in five consumers (40%) now claim to have a good understanding of AI technology, evidence that awareness of AI is growing rapidly. Confidence is even stronger among men, with nearly half of males (48%) believing they have a good or very good grasp of what AI can do. This rising confidence is reflected in overall experience as 40% of consumers say their interactions with AI have been positive, signalling a major shift in how the technology has moved from a niche innovation to a routine part of how people in Ireland work, communicate, and solve problems.
Vodafone Ireland is also addressing uniquely Irish challenges through TOBi’s ongoing development, as it constantly learns to understand Irish accents and Irishisms. With three in five survey respondents acknowledging their own difficulties in understanding certain Irish accents (particularly Kerry, Cork, and Donegal), TOBi is being specially trained to recognise regional dialects and local expressions, from “banjaxed” to “acting the maggot.”
Interestingly, one in three people believe AI can understand Irishisms, such as “grand” or “c’mere to me” – though “banjaxed” (60%), “sucking diesel” (59%) and “acting the maggot” (52%) were named the most confusing for both AI and people alike to understand.
Gen Z and Dubliners are the most confident that AI like TOBi is catching on to these Irishisms.
The development of TOBi is part of Vodafone Ireland’s broader €10million investment in enhancing its customer care experience, resolving common customer queries and expanding care channels to ensure faster, more flexible help for customers. As a result, Vodafone Ireland now offers the longest customer care hours and the largest retail footprint in the market, as well as the only 24/7 AI resolution option available from any Irish telecoms provider.
“TOBi isn’t just a chatbot,” said Ciaran Barrett, Commercial Operations Director at Vodafone Ireland. “TOBi helps our customers everyday by giving them fast, intuitive support any time of the day or night- whether they want to check a bill, query a charge or top up their account. TOBi learns from every interaction, adapting to how Irish people speak and what they need. This is AI made useful, not just clever.”
“Our research shows that Irish people are becoming more comfortable with AI – and we’re meeting that shift with technology that actually delivers. TOBi is getting smarter, faster and more helpful all the time. While TOBi is still learning to understand every accent and irishism, it absolutely gets what our customers need and is fully supported by our team of care specialists as well as the largest retail footprint in the country – giving our customers real choice in how they connect with us.”
Unlike many digital assistants that simply provide information, TOBi is fully integrated with Vodafone Ireland’s core operating systems, enabling secure, real time account changes and issues resolution, distinguishing Vodafone Ireland’s care offerings from its competitors.
As TOBi grows in popularity as a support option, Vodafone Ireland’s customer care performance has surged. The company now solves 80% of customer queries on the first try and has seen calls drop by half over the past three years, as customers have fewer reasons to contact Vodafone.
Offering customers greater choice remains central to Vodafone Ireland’s approach to customer care. While TOBi handles the bulk of straightforward queries, customers with complex or sensitive queries can still rely on speaking to a care specialist. According to this research, 90% of people still prefer talking to a human for more complex queries, but younger users increasingly embrace digital options for speed and convenience.
At Vodafone Ireland, every connection counts. TOBi is helping Vodafone Ireland to lead customer service innovation, demonstrating how AI can enhance rather than replace meaningful customer connections.
Vodafone Ireland currently serves over 2.4 million customers nationwide and was recently named Ireland’s ‘Best Mobile Operator’ for the tenth consecutive year by independent benchmarking organisation umlaut. This achievement has been driven by Vodafone Ireland’s €500 million investment over five years (2024–2029) in enhancing mobile and fixed network quality, coverage, and capacity for customers across Ireland.