Tara, husband Kevin and daughters Neeta, aged six, and three-year-old Rosa moved into their home as a new build, three and half years ago. Amid all the décor and furnishing choices, one very important decision had already been made, much to their relief.
“Virgin broadband was already in the estate when we moved in, which was fine with us. We didn’t have to choose it but we would have. We’ve always had Virgin, wherever we’ve lived,” says Fakhry.
Fakhry is a midwife like her mother before her. “I started in hospitals as a cleaner, then became a care assistant and then studied midwifery. I love it. It’s obviously very challenging but so rewarding,” she explains.
Along with two of her midwifery colleagues, who also work in busy Dublin maternity hospitals, Fakhry is the host of Yonic Boom, a podcast.
“We started it in 2019 as three feminist midwives talking about women’s reproductive and sexual health,” she says.
She records the podcast from home. She and her fellow podcasters record in separate houses, and rely on good quality sound, editing tools and apps to upload their show, all of which is made easier with good broadband.
“Good quality sound is a top priority. There’s nothing worse than a podcast that sounds bad, you just can’t listen to it,” she adds.
Husband Kevin is a network engineer. He’s also the bass player in the band CPNHGN (pronounced Copenhagen) and set up a recording studio in the couple’s home.
“During Covid he did band practice online and recorded tracks with a guy in India which he sent over and back, so the broadband was really important,” she explains.
“He doesn’t work from home often but he does a bit. It’s another reason why good broadband is important to us. It’s our number one priority in terms of entertainment, communications and just day-to-day living,” says Fakhry.
“We spend a lot of time using the internet, for everything. We have a smart TV too, so we stream everything. And because Kevin is so into technology, broadband is just something he takes seriously.”
Virgin Media’s WiFi Guarantee, guarantees minimum speeds in every room in the house, getting into every nook and cranny, even in those hard to reach black spots. This means the family can do everything they need online - for work, education, or play - without fear of lag or glitch. That’s a welcome reassurance for the Fakhrys - and not just mum and dad.
During Covid lockdowns daughter Neeta was able to meet up with her classmates online, during the periods when she was being home schooled. “She was only in junior infants but she had Zoom calls on a tablet once a week,” says Fakhry.
“Neeta is the queen of streaming services too,” she laughs. “She doesn’t use too many devices but when it comes to the telly – or a tablet device - she can find her way around Netflix, RTE Player, Disney and YouTube.”
Good broadband is important to the newest member of the household too, au pair Benedetta, from Italy. The 19-year-old joined the household at the start of the year, much to the delight of the kids - and their parents. “My mum worked shifts too so we always had au pairs growing up so it feels very natural to me,” says Fakhry.
Having good quality broadband is important for Benedetta too, she reckons. “She’s on her laptop and phone and FaceTiming from home all the time too, which is great.”
This is a couple who love nothing more than having a full house and will often invite people to stay for extended periods. “We’ve always opened up our spare room to people. It’s a kind of open house, with people coming and going all the time, which is how we like it,” she says.
When it comes to WiFi, the more the merrier. “We could have 50 people in this house, in every room, all using their phones and there’d be no bother at all,” she laughs.
That’s how they like their broadband.
“It was a priority for us when we moved in. We wanted high speed broadband so even if Virgin wasn’t what the builders had put in, we’d have put it in ourselves,” she explains. “We wanted our broadband to be fast and problem free, and it has been.”