Almost 700 Primary Schools will be connected to high speed broadband by the end of 2022 in an acceleration of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) announced this week by the Government and National Broadband Ireland (NBI). Under the originally-planned rollout, some schools would have had to wait several years for connection. Now, all schools will be connected within two years.
This will allow for 96 additional Schools in Cork to be connected to high speed broadband including Ballyhass NS, Dromagh NS, Knockaclarig NS, Newmarket Boys NS & Tullylease NS in the North Cork area.
Some schools across the county in the Intervention Area will become Broadband Connection Points (BCPs), by the end of Q1 2021, receiving 150mb high-speed connectivity for educational access. The first 25 schools have already been connected.
Welcoming the news for the Schools in North Cork, Fine Gael Cllr. John Paul O’Shea said “This is really wonderful news for the pupils and staff at the five Schools in my area. I know how important it is for Schools to have a connection to high speed broadband and we now have a commitment that all School will be connected by the end of 2022. This is an investment in education, technology and rural Ireland. Fast-tracking connectivity for schools is a great first step”.
David McCourt, Chairman at National Broadband Ireland said “Today is an extremely proud day as we bring high-speed connectivity to schools across the country. Location should never limit opportunities available for students. Accelerating the rollout of high-speed broadband to every school in the Intervention Area has been a key ambition, and NBI are delighted to make that a reality with today’s announcement. Our teams are working tirelessly across the country and we’re pleased to be making great strides in providing high-speed broadband to schools so that they can enjoy the benefits as soon as possible.”
