Seán Kyne TD – Minister for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources
Galway, Tuesday, 4th April ’17
High speed broadband to be provided to almost 27,000 households and businesses in rural Galway as part of Rural Deployment phase of National Broadband Plan
Minister of State for Gaeltacht Affairs and Natural Resources and Fine Gael TD for Galway West and Mayo South, SeánKyne has welcomed the signing of commitment contracts to ensure the provision of high speed broadband to almost 27,000 homes and businesses in Galway by the end of next year.
The Planned Rural Deployment part of the National Broadband Plan involves the signing of commitment contracts between the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and the company Eir.
Broadband will be provided by the company which has been building its fibre network in certain areas over the last number of years.
The 27,000 homes and businesses included in the agreement in Galway cover significant rural parts of Barna, Fubro, An Spideal, An Cheathru Rua, Ros an Mhil, Beal an Daingin, Tuairin, Roundstone, Ballyconneely, Clifden, Cleggan, Maam, Oughterard, Moycullen, Roscahill, Carrowmoreknock, Tullykyne, Corcullen, Annaghdown, Corrandulla, Claregalway, Turloughmore, Oranmore, Craughwell, Clarinbridge, Athenry, Loughrea, Ballinasloe, among others.
Commented Minister Kyne, who is Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Climate Change and Environment and attended the launch in Ballinasloe on Tuesday commented:
“The signing of the commitment contracts with Eir is very significant and will bring high speed broadband to almost 27,000 households and businesses in rural areas of Galway.
“The Department’s Mapping Project has identified just under 134,000 premises in Galway. Of these, over half – 67,633 – are served by commercial operators.
“With the signing of the commitment contracts with Eir, which covers 27,000 households and businesses, the number of premises in the National Broadband Plan’s intervention area is being reduced to just under 40,000.
“In addition, other companies including SIRO – the ESB Vodafone partnership – and E-Net, the company which operates the State-owned Municipal Area Networks, are also proceeding with broadband plans for rural communities.
“This new phase of the National Broadband Plan will ensure faster delivery of high speed broadband to a greater number of rural Galway households and businesses. In the coming days householders and businesses will be able to use their Eircode on the website of the NBP to see if their area is included in this phase.
“At the same time, the work on completing the intervention contract and the awarding of the contract under the National Broadband Plan, which is at a very advanced stage, will be complete in June.”
Map: The Rural Deployment areas are indicated in light blue. The updated online map will be available shortly at http://www.dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/communications/topics/Broadband/national-broadband-plan/high-speed-broadband-map/Pages/Interactive-Map.aspx
