High-speed Broadband the key to future development in Ireland

The recent announcement by Minister Pat Rabitte TD, Minister for Communication, Energy and National Resources that there will be major developments in the provision of high-speed Broadband to rural areas across Ireland is very welcome news. There is no doubt that many areas across the country are lagging behind in the availability of high-speed Broadband and that this has major implications for businesses and industry as well as for the domestic user.

Since the publication of the National Broadband Plan in 2012 the commercial sector has responded strongly in urban and semi-urban areas, offering competitive high speed services to consumers over multiple technology platforms, and they are now investing approximately €2bn in Ireland.  Companies such as Eircom, UPC, Sky, the ESB and various mobile operators have been engaged in rolling out high speed services. 

This has been possible because the networks on which they are based have a strong fibre component. This model cannot be replicated commercially in many rural areas because the fibre networks do not exist and population densities are small. The Government has confirmed that it intends to ensure that rural Ireland enjoys similar opportunities by ensuring an end to end market intervention with fibre as a core component. In committing to a fibre build-out at the heart of this strategy, it is recognised that broadband is the key infrastructure of the 21^st century. 

To date over 1,000 rural communities have already been identified as target areas for the proposed fibre based connections. It is envisaged that telecommunications operators will be able to offer multiple services off the fibre network.  So far the areas identified in Co Louth are Baltray, Beaulieu, Blackrock, Dromin, Grangebellew, Greenore, Jenkinstown, Kilcurly,,Monasterboice, Mullincross, Newtown Monasterboice, Readypenny, Smarmore, Stabannan, Stifyans. This is an initial list and further locations may be identified as the mapping process continues. 

This strategy will definitively address the connectivity challenges faced by rural Ireland in a meaningful and sustainable way. It will deliver a solution which is future proofed and capable of responding to new technology developments and increasing demand for decades to come.