The Government’s National Broadband Plan procurement process has reached its final stages which are a significant milestone the Fine Gael TD and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Andrew Doyle has said
“This week two bidders submitted their plans to the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment – [the Government Department managing the process]. This means the procurement process to select an operator to rollout high speed broadband to every home and business in remote rural areas across Ireland has now entered the closing stages, stated Minister Doyle.
“Minister for Communications Denis Naughten TD confirmed to the Dáil that his Department has received submissions – legally termed “Detailed Solutions – from two bidders, Eircom Limited and the Granahan McCourt, enet, SSE, John Laing Group plc consortium. This is a significant and positive milestone in the procurement process which will put thousands of premises across Wicklow on the digital map.
“In parallel with the broadband plan commercial operators are spending €1.8 million per day on their networks. People in towns and villages across rural Ireland are getting connected and getting access to high speed broadband every minute of every working day through massive investment from commercial operators. They would not be investing and connecting people at the rate were it not for the State’s National Broadband Plan,” Minister Doyle said.
“Since this Government was formed an extra 171 homes every day are being connected to a broadband service. Close to 7 out of 10 premises now have access to high speed broadband. Within a year that will rise to nearly eight out of ten premises and by 2020 nine out of ten premises or 90% of premises the length and breadth of the country will have access to high speed broadband.”
The Department’s High Speed Broadband Map is available at www.broadband.gov.ie.
Wicklow and Kildare community groups are set to get €230,310.88 funding, a Fine Gael TD has said.