The national network representing the interest of rural communities believes this announcement by the ESB and Vodafone is a positive step towards delivering high speed broadband to every home and business in the country.

However, it warns that the plan fails to address the 700,000 homes in rural Ireland.

Irish Rural Link have therefore continued to call on the Irish government to honour their commitment to deliver high speed broadband to all homes and businesses by 2020. The national network said the delivery of high speed broadband to the last 700,000 homes and businesses "must be a priority for government".

In a statement responding to today's announcement it said the lack of a high speed broadband infrastructure is "preventing the rural economy from recovery at the same rate as the national economy. Rural communities are not seeking hand outs rather the infrastructure to help them compete on a global scale."