Multi-million broadband investment will benefit large Mayo towns

Multi-million broadband investment will benefit large Mayo towns


Áine Ryan

THE towns and businesses of Westport, Ballina and Castlebar are set to benefit from a major investment in broadband infrastructure by the ESB and Vodafone, it has been confirmed. The €450 million joint venture, which will deliver high-speed broadband, will be rolled out to 50 towns nationwide, according to Minister of State, Michael Ring.
Minister Ring said the major development would ‘help to both attract new investment and sustain existing businesses, as well as improving the quality of broadband available in people’s homes’.
He said: “Upgrading our broadband network is crucial to our economic recovery. The Government is determined to improve the access, quality and capacity of the broadband infrastructure in the State. We have seen this with the plan to roll out high speed broadband in every secondary school in the country which will be completed by this September.  
“In May, the Government announced an implementation strategy to deliver State led broadband investment in rural areas under the National Broadband Plan. The initial phase of this plan will involve a fibre build out to over 1,100 villages. The deployment of fibre will be as close as possible to strategic locations such as schools, business hubs, health facilities and Garda Stations.”
Mr Ring observed that while the State was ‘doing its part to upgrade the broadband network’,  it was also ‘very positive’ that the private sector was also investing in the improvement of such infrastructure.  Improving broadband access in rural Ireland will help ensure that our economic recovery is being felt in every town and village across the country,” he added.