Western islands link up to internet via satellite

Clare and Inishturk islands are the Atlantic seaboard locations for a new £1.5 million (#1.9 million) satellite Internet project which is being promoted by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke.

The pilot project involves using the V SAT Internet system to provide high-speed access by satellite.

The system is easily installed and is more than 35 times faster than the dial-up modem by telephone.

Apart from Co Mayo, it will also be available on a pilot basis in Meath and Offaly. Initiating the project on Clare Island in Clew Bay yesterday, the Minister, Ms O'Rourke, said it was particularly suited for remoter, rural areas and specifically offshore islands.

Three companies have been selected for grant-aid to provide it at the chosen locations: Cedare Software (Ireland) in Castlebar, Co Mayo, Navan Education Centre in Co Meath and the West Offaly Task Force in Co Offaly. The systems are being provided by Armstrong Electronics, Cedar Software and Hughes Electronics Corporation.

The Minister said the Government was committed to rolling out quality internet access throughout the State. "No areas should be at a disadvantage," she said yesterday.

"This technology, allied to the roll-out of broadband fibre optic cable, the Community Access to Information Technology Initiative [CAIT] and expanded global connectivity, will mean that everyone, no matter where they live, has access to the worldwide web."

The CAIT initiative which was established earlier this summer has been "massively successful", according to the Minister, with more than 70 individual community projects being funded, mainly in the west. Referring to yesterday's publication of the Western Development Commission report on continued disadvantage in the west, a spokesman for the Minister said CAIT was one of several major initiatives being undertaken by the Government to develop telecoms infrastructure in the west.

A feasibility study is also under way on developing a "Malin to Mizen" infrastructure corridor of high-speed fibreoptic cable. This will provide the west with a "backbone infrastructure" which is as extensive as that available anywhere else in the State, the spokesman said.

The cable route will be developed on a public-private partnership basis, working as a "carrier's carrier to provide high specification capacity to service providers in the west", the spokesman said.

A new call for regional proposals on supporting infrastructure is also due to be initiated by the Minister later this summer.

This will focus on investment to support industrial development in the key regional centres, according to her Department and is expected to be used by schools, libraries, community centres and small businesses in the three areas.