Broadband scheme set for expansion to cover regions

The Government is set to expand its regional broadband scheme to give coverage to the remaining 15 per cent of the Republic's population that does not have access to high-speed telecoms services.

The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has spent €80 million over the last three years developing a broadband infrastructure throughout the State.

The developments included metropolitan area networks (MANs) for large towns and urban areas, group broadband schemes for smaller population centres and a schools project.

However, an estimated 15 per cent of the State - mainly areas of low population - has yet to get coverage.

Minister for Communications,Marine and Natural Resources Noel Dempsey is now looking at expanding broadband infrastructure to these areas, and is considering the possibility of involving the private sector.

A department spokeswoman said yesterday that the Minister was "considering a range of proposals on furthering the availability of open access broadband infrastructure and supporting the private sector in developing a competitive, affordable and rapidly growing broadband market".

The department has not established what further development is likely to cost.

However, it seems likely that, if it goes ahead, it will bring the cost of building a State-wide broadband network to well over €100 million.

Broadband is a high-speed telecoms and internet service that offers faster and cheaper connection and the capacity to download large files.

The slow rate of broadband development in the Republic is a cause of major concern, as it could impede the State's ability to compete for inward investment, which has been responsible for most of the job creation over the last decade.

The most recent figures from communications regulator, ComReg, showed that there were 322,000 broadband subscribers in the Republic, ranking it 17 out of the 25 EU member states.

Some figures in the telecoms industry, however, maintain that broadband availability is high but consumers have been slow to take up the new services.