Plan to deliver broadband to rural Ireland put into action
Minister for Communications Alex White has opened the first phase of tendering for the contracts to build a network reaching every home by 2020 under the National Broadband Plan.
Brian Smith takes part in the Eircom Fibre Broadband trial in Belcarra, Co Mayo. Photo : Keith Heneghan
ADVERTISEMENT
Minister White formally published initial tendering documents on Tuesday, along with a revised intervention strategy to deliver high-quality broadband to every address in Ireland in the next five years.
The process will see contractors paid by the State extend the network to rural areas where it is unprofitable for private operators to provide reliable services.
Public consultations have led to the reduction in the number of regional lots from three to two, and the extension of the contracts from 20 to 25 years. The Department of Communications said the Government had allocated €275m in initial capital for the first six years of the contract.
ADVERTISEMENT
Selected companies are expected to provide their own share of investment.
Several operators including Eircom and Siro, the recently formed joint-venture between ESB and Vodafone, have said they would compete for the tender.
This content is available to digital subscribers and loyalty code users only. Sign in to your account, use the code or subscribe to get unlimited access.
However, if you would like to share the information in this article, you may use the headline, summary and link below:
Title: Plan to deliver broadband to rural Ireland put into action
Minister for Communications Alex White has opened the first phase of tendering for the contracts to build a network reaching every home by 2020 under the National Broadband Plan.
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
CODE ACCEPTED
You have full access to the site until next Wednesday at 9pm.
CODE NOT VALID
Please try again or contact support.
Minister White formally published initial tendering documents on Tuesday, along with a revised intervention strategy to deliver high-quality broadband to every address in Ireland in the next five years.
The process will see contractors paid by the State extend the network to rural areas where it is unprofitable for private operators to provide reliable services.
Public consultations have led to the reduction in the number of regional lots from three to two, and the extension of the contracts from 20 to 25 years. The Department of Communications said the Government had allocated €275m in initial capital for the first six years of the contract.
Selected companies are expected to provide their own share of investment.
Several operators including Eircom and Siro, the recently formed joint-venture between ESB and Vodafone, have said they would compete for the tender.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please call us on 01-4199525.
Link sent to your email address
We have sent an email to your address. Please click on the link in this email to reset your password. If you can't find it in your inbox, please check your spam folder. If you can't find the email, please call us on 01-4199525.
ENTER YOUR LOYALTY CODE:
The reader loyalty code gives you full access to the site from when you enter it until the following Wednesday at 9pm. Find your unique code on the back page of Irish Country Living every week.
SHARING OPTIONS