What is the Single Information Point?
One of the slowest parts of building fibre has nothing to do with fibre. It is finding out what already exists in the ground, who owns it and what is planned next. Under the EU Gigabit Infrastructure Act (GIA), the Single Information Point (SIP) is designed to fix that.
What is the SIP?
The SIP is a single online access point where operators can find information about existing physical infrastructure and planned civil works, and apply for permits and rights of way electronically.
What information must be available?
Infrastructure owners, including public bodies and network operators, must provide a minimum dataset:
- Georeferenced location and route
- Type of infrastructure and its current use
- A contact point for access requests
Planned civil works must also be shared, so roads are opened once rather than twice. Ducts, chambers, poles, cabinets and street furniture can all be in scope, subject to any exclusions set nationally.
Who is affected?
- Public Bodies need accurate, georeferenced records and coordinated works planning.
- Property Developers need to design fibre-ready buildings with a clear view of what is available beyond the site boundary.
- Network Operators can use SIP data to plan routes faster and cut survey time.
Five steps to get SIP-ready
- Audit what you have. List every physical asset you own or control that could host a high-capacity network: ducts, chambers, poles, columns, rooftops and street furniture.
- Digitise and georeference. Convert paper, CAD and spreadsheet records into a structured GIS registry, so each asset has a location, type and current use.
- Assign ownership and a contact point. Every asset needs someone accountable for access requests, and a clear process for answering them.
- Join up your works planning. Align roads, housing and planning programmes so telecom works can be coordinated with other civil works before roads are opened.
- Validate and keep it current. A SIP is only useful if the data is trusted. Build in quality checks and regular updates.
How Novegen helps
Novegen is an independent telecoms infrastructure management and technical assurance partner. We map council ducts, chambers and street assets into ArcGIS-powered spatial registries designed to integrate with SIP platforms, coordinate telecom works with road opening programmes, and provide independent certification of the data. We are the telecoms management partner for various Irish City and County Councils, including Dublin City Council and and you can read how we helped Dublin City Council align with the GIA in our case study.
Start now!
The SIP will reward the organisations whose data is ready. If you are unsure where your assets stand, or want a second pair of eyes on your GIA plan, we are happy to talk.