eircom gets broadband up to speed with 25,000 homes in Louth to benefit – Fitzpatrick

Fine Gael Louth Deputy, Peter Fitzpatrick, has said news that almost 25,000 homes in Louth will be able to access high-speed broadband by next September will act as a boost for businesses in the region and allow households to experience the same connectivity speeds that have been taken for granted in other parts of the country for years.

“It’s hard for people who live in the bigger cities to imagine the connectivity speeds that are still being endured by homes and businesses in other parts of the country, like Louth. This impediment is putting whole areas at a disadvantage and hindering growth and our future development.

“News that eircom is set to invest €1.5 billion nationally in broadband infrastructure over the next five years as part of its Network for a Nation programme will be welcomed, as in many parts of the country it is considered to be long overdue. This investment aims to bridge the broadband gap that currently exists through what the company has described as the most comprehensive roll-out of fibre broadband network in the history of the State.

“As part of this plan, Louth is set to benefit from the fact that high speed broadband, or eFibre, will be available to 24,300 homes in the county by next September; with the first phase to be delivered as early as next week.

“In Dundalk, 10,000 homes will be able to access eFibre by August; in Ardee 2,300 homes will have access by September; and from next Monday high-speed broadband will be available to 12,000 homes in Drogheda.

“This will come as tremendous news to the families and business owners in the Louth area who have been struggling to cope with dial-up and sluggish connections for years. If we are to be able to compete on the world stage in terms of providing services, growing our SMEs and keeping up with what’s going on generally, we need to ensure that we are operating on an equal footing.

“Fibre broadband currently reaches around 230,000 premises across the country, with this figure set to reach 1.2 billion by June 2015. Phase one of the roll-out will commence this Monday, with Drogheda being one of the first locations to profit from the investment. High speed connection is critical for the people of Louth as our businesses are competing with those across the border. To give ourselves a fighting chance we have to get our broadband up to speed, so to speak, to ensure that everyone is facilitated in playing their part in our economic recovery and in getting the country back on track.”
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