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Mayo is off-line when it comes to broadband - Ruane

Published: 9 May, 2009

Mayo is off-line when it comes to broadband - Ruane

Sinn Féin Councillor, Thérèse Ruane, insists that high speed access to broadband must be made a priority for our local businesses and communities. Major investment is needed in terms of broadband and infrastructure. This State not only lags far behind the EU average in broadband rollout, it also has some of the highest costs and lowest speeds in the EU.

Thérèse Ruane said:

"This week, I met with couple trying to set up their own business who cannot access fixed line broadband within a mile of Castlebar, our County town. The irony is that their neighbours on the other side of the road have access and despite numerous requests to Eircom to upgrade the line they have had no success. I contacted Eircom this week about this issue and their response was totally unacceptable; they "cannot provide it on this line ... there is no definitive reason ... there is nothing we can do about it"

"Essential investment and upgrade in networks is needed to ensure that reliable and high speed broadband is available to local businesses, especially SMEs (small and medium enterprises). How can we promote ourselves here in Mayo and Ireland as a knowledge-based economy if we don't have the most basic of tools to deliver such a market? Broadband has become widely recognised as an essential tool for economic development in the 21st century. Communities and businesses without access to communications technology including broadband will get left behind. Rollout of broadband in rural towns, villages and outlying areas is of vital importance to the future economic development of Mayo.

Here we are in an economic crisis, more than 1000 people losing jobs everyday and people with initiative and innovative business ideas here in Mayo and the west of Ireland are faced with unacceptable barriers to setting up their own businesses. This is not on."