Rural areas 'one step closer to high speed broadband'

MAYO Fine Gael Michelle Mulherin has welcomed the news that the government’s National Broadband Plan procurement process has reached its final stages.

The Ballina-based representative elaborated: “This week two bidders submitted their plans to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment – the government department managing the process. This means the procurement process to select an operator to rollout high speed broadband to every home and business in remote rural areas across Ireland has now entered the closing stages.

“Minister for Communications Denis Naughten confirmed to the Dáil that his department has received submissions - legally termed 'Detailed Solutions' - from two bidders, Eircom Limited and the Granahan McCourt, enet, SSE, John Laing Group plc consortium.

“This is a significant and positive milestone in the procurement process which will put every place name on the digital map. It will give every parish in Mayo the means to be the hub of a living community.

“In parallel with the broadband plan commercial operators are spending €1.8 million per day on their networks. People in towns and villages across rural Ireland are getting connected and getting access to high speed broadband every minute of every working day through massive investment from commercial operators. They would not be investing and connecting people at the rate they are were it not for the State’s National Broadband Plan.

“Since this government was formed, an extra 171 homes every day are being connected to a broadband service. Close to seven out of 10 premises now have access to high speed broadband. Within a year that will rise to nearly eight out of ten premises and by 2020 nine out of ten premises or 90% of premises the length and breadth of the country will have access to high speed broadband.”

The department’s High Speed Broadband Map is available at www.broadband.gov.ie.