North Cork Fine Gael Councillor John Paul O’Shea has welcomed the news that more than half the homes and businesses in Cork North West are now eligible to receive high-speed broadband. Cllr. O’Shea has also urged the Government to progress its plan to bring high-speed broadband to all premises in Ireland and highlighted the importance of broadband for businesses and residents across North Cork.
Figures released by the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment show that, in Q3 of 2018, some 44% of premises in North Cork are already covered by high-speed broadband commercial operators. A further 9% of premises are part of Eir’s 300k Rural Rollout plan. Cllr. O’Shea said that left 47% of premises in areas where providers have indicated they are not going to supply service for commercial reasons.
The National Broadband Plan is the Government’s strategy to ensure that high-speed broadband is made available to all households and businesses in the country where there is no existing or planned commercial network. Of the 269,000 premises in Cork, more than 74,000 are located in an Amber area, meaning they require state intervention to receive access to high speed broadband.
“Of the 44,000 premises in Cork North-West, 47% are located in Amber areas. A further 44% of premises in the region are located in what is known as Blue areas, which means that commercial operators are delivering, or have plans to deliver, high-speed broadband services. 9% of premises are then located in areas, known as Light Blue areas, which are part of Eir’s 300k Rural Rollout,” said Cllr. O’Shea.
“Looking at North Cork, and Cork North-West in particular, which is my immediate focus, it is imperative we move ahead with the rollout of the National Broadband Plan for to allow all premises to access to high-speed broadband. We know there have been delays with this scheme, we know bidders have pulled out of the tender process, but it is imperative that the Government increase the pace on this project.
“We are all aware of the importance of high-speed broadband in Ireland today, and how necessary it is in people’s homes and businesses. It is also an important when it comes to promoting the area as somewhere where businesses can invest in. I will be doing my utmost to see that North Cork is properly serviced with a high-speed broadband service without any further delays,” Cllr O’Shea added.
