Minister for communications Denis Naughten has confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal that agriculture will not be left behind when the national broadband plan is rolled out.

His department is currently at the second stage of the eight-step procurement process which is evaluating responses from companies that have expressed interest in rolling out high-speed broadband in Ireland.

“There is a very significant and detailed process and the contact must be watertight,” said Naughten.

“2020 to 2021 is still the projected time frame [to achieve the rollout]. In June 2017 the contract will be awarded. I cannot pull back that date until I know I can stand over it; there have been too many broken promises.”

The Department of Communications is working on a mapping process that prioritise certain areas for high-speed access under the national broadband plan. Naughten said the eircodes of 96,000 farm houses are listed on it as priority.

“There will be a minimum speed of 30mb for 96,000 farms for the next 25 years [under the national broadband plan]. The tender process is technology neutral,” he added.

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