Interview with Elaine Carey CEO, Three Ireland Chair, Telecommunications Industry Ireland (TII)

18 Oct Interview with Elaine Carey CEO, Three Ireland Chair, Telecommunications Industry Ireland (TII)

Ireland’s telecommunications sector is now valued at more than €3 billion making it one of the country’s most important strategic industries. As Chair of Telecommunications Industry Ireland, you are helping shape discussions around the sector’s future ahead of Ireland’s upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union. How important has Ireland’s telecommunications industry become in supporting the country’s economic growth and digital transformation?

The telecommunications sector is critical to Ireland’s growth and competitiveness, as well as Europe’s. The GSMA Mobile Economy Europe 2026 report highlights that the sector contributes €1.1 trillion to the European economy — around 6% of EU GDP — and supports 2.4 million jobs across the region. In Ireland, telecoms directly employ around 24,000 people and play a much broader role than economic growth alone. Reliable connectivity enables how we live and work today. Nearly one million people in Ireland now work in a hybrid model, representing around a quarter of the workforce. That simply would not be possible without high-quality digital infrastructure.

As an industry, we have invested more than €5 billion in Ireland’s telecommunications infrastructure. This investment has helped create the extensive broadband coverage and low-latency networks that are essential for attracting foreign direct investment. IDA Ireland consistently highlights world-class connectivity as a key factor in Ireland’s attractiveness to global businesses. Ireland’s reputation as a leading technology hub is built on this strong digital foundation, combined with a highly skilled workforce. Our continued focus on education, innovation and technology has been a major advantage, helping to support both economic growth and societal progress.

Major EU reforms are now being discussed, including the proposed Digital Networks Act and updates to the EU Cybersecurity Act. How are European telecom policies evolving to support long-term growth and strengthen the bloc’s digital infrastructure?

Ireland is a strong example of how growing demand for connectivity is driving investment in digital infrastructure. Average mobile data usage in Ireland is now around 21GB per user per month, broadly in line with other advanced markets in Europe and North America. Over the past eight years, data consumption has increased by 460%, helping to drive more than €5 billion of investment in telecommunications infrastructure. The challenge is that telecom operators are the primary investors in this infrastructure, while demand for data continues to grow exponentially.

On Three Ireland’s network alone, data usage has increased by 1300% in the last decade. Meeting that demand requires significant long-term capital investment. For investors and shareholders, regulatory certainty is critical. When companies commit billions to network infrastructure, they need a clear, predictable framework that supports long-term planning. Additional regulation inevitably brings additional costs and those costs have to be absorbed somewhere within the ecosystem. As an industry, we are calling for three key priorities: fair contribution to network investment across the digital ecosystem, simpler and more predictable regulation and long-term certainty around spectrum policy.

Spectrum is fundamental to delivering next-generation services, including low-latency, high-capacity 5G networks. Sustainable networks require a sustainable ecosystem. Getting these fundamentals right is essential not only for telecommunications growth, but for the wider economic growth and digital competitiveness that depend on it.

Three Ireland recently completed a €1.2-million program of 4G and 5G upgrades.  What role has the company played in modernizing and expanding Ireland’s telecom infrastructure and what further investments or upgrades are now needed to meet the country’s growing digital demands?

Three Ireland is the country’s largest telecommunications provider, serving almost half of the market. Over recent years, we have invested €2 billion in our network, including €1.1 billion dedicated to expanding and upgrading our infrastructure. That investment is focused on building a high-capacity, resilient network capable of meeting rapidly growing demand for data. As technologies such as AI and cloud computing accelerate, the need for reliable, high-speed connectivity will only increase. Today, our 5G network covers 96.4% of the population.

We have also invested heavily in high-demand locations, including stadiums, music venues and major transport routes, ensuring customers stay connected even in the busiest environments. Beyond network infrastructure, we support 1.7 million customers through a team of 1,200 employees and 60 retail stores across Ireland. Investment is not just about technology; it is about creating the entire ecosystem needed to deliver a great customer experience. Innovation remains central to our strategy. As customer needs evolve, we continue to adapt our products, services and networks to ensure we meet the demands of the future.

What major operational changes have been introduced under the company’s Enterprise Agile strategy and what successes have emerged from this transformation so far?

Enterprise Agile has been a transformational step for Three Ireland. I became CEO in June and by September we completed what we called the “full flip” to an enterprise agile model. That followed 18 months of planning, engagement and testing, including a pilot phase where we validated the processes, structures and ways of working before scaling them across the business. What makes Enterprise Agile different is that it extends far beyond technology and IT. It brings together product, finance, customer service, marketing, networks and technology teams around a common goal: solving customer problems and delivering customer value.

Today, we form cross-functional teams around specific customer needs. These teams typically work together for 90 days and include experts from technology, customer experience, marketing, finance and other functions. Everyone has a shared understanding of both the customer outcome and the business objective. The biggest benefit has been alignment. Enterprise agile creates transparency around our strategic priorities and ensures that everyone understands how their work contributes to our overall goals. It has also accelerated decision-making by empowering teams to solve problems directly, rather than relying on traditional hierarchies. For our leadership team, the role is less about directing every decision and more about setting priorities, removing barriers and enabling teams to succeed. That combination of transparency, accountability and empowerment has been one of the biggest drivers of progress for Three Ireland.

Research and innovation are becoming increasingly important as Ireland advances its Impact 2030 strategy, which aims to increase R&D investment across the economy. How important is research and development within today’s rapidly evolving telecom industry and how are companies such as Three Ireland helping strengthen Ireland’s wider innovation ecosystem?

Technology innovation has been central to Ireland’s success and will remain so in the future. Ireland continues to attract significant investment from hyperscalers, data centres and global technology companies, reinforcing its position as a major digital hub. As a network provider, we play a critical role in enabling that ecosystem — investing in next-generation infrastructure that supports innovation across sectors, from AI and cloud to advanced digital services. For Three, innovation is closely linked to our focus on B2B services, particularly around the Internet of Things. These technologies, supported by ongoing R&D, are helping to deliver new business applications, societal benefits and digital services.

We are also focused on the potential of 5G Standalone, including capabilities such as network slicing, which enables businesses to access secure, low-latency, dedicated parts of the network. Data sovereignty is another key consideration, particularly as the importance of where and how data is stored continues to grow. Collaboration with academia is an important part of this ecosystem. We work closely with Trinity College Dublin and we are especially proud of our investment in promoting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), particularly encouraging more women into the field. We believe diversity of thought is essential for meaningful innovation. We have supported 20 young women through STEM pathways into telecommunications, many of whom are pursuing careers in R&D. Building a diverse talent pipeline is critical to driving innovation in Ireland and maintaining global competitiveness.

Your appointment as CEO of Three Ireland marked a major turning point in accelerating the company’s enterprise agile strategy and helping drive a new phase of growth and transformation across the business. What are your top priorities as CEO of Three Ireland in 2026 and what is your vision for the company over the next five to ten years?

A key priority for us has been speed — responding quickly to customer needs and evolving demand. Agile has helped us significantly in doing that. At Three, our purpose is to simplify how people connect, work and live in a safer, smarter and easier way. That ambition shapes everything we do, from product design and service strategy to how we engage with customers across all channels. We aim to lead the Irish market not only through core telecoms, but also by exploring adjacent services that extend beyond traditional connectivity, underpinned by continued investment in our network and digital capabilities.

We have a trusted brand, strong scale, established channels and billing relationships, which give us a strong platform to build from. The opportunity is to grow within core services while expanding into adjacent offerings that make customers’ lives simpler and more connected. Ultimately, every new product or service we develop is judged on whether it delivers that promise of simplicity, safety and intelligence for our customers.

What is your final message to the readers of the L.A. Times?

Ireland is in a strong position today and will remain so into the future. It has a proven track record in attracting foreign direct investment and a highly skilled workforce that has consistently delivered in innovation and technology. The country’s strength lies in the combination of robust digital infrastructure, strong connectivity and an educated talent base. Together, these make Ireland an attractive and reliable location for global investment. Looking ahead, there is an opportunity to build further on this success, including through Ireland’s role in the EU. This is a chance to reinforce the investment environment, strengthen infrastructure and continue to enhance Ireland’s competitiveness on the global stage.