Broadband use triples since October

There are now 42,000 broadband customers in Ireland, an increase of 300 per cent since October, according to Department of Communication figures released today.

The Minister for Communications Mr Dermot Ahern said that there had been a dramatic and sustained take-up of broadband and flat rate services within the last six months following initiatives to drive down prices.

Over 100,000 people in Ireland now use either flat rate Internet access or broadband compared to 43,000 in October of last year.

Mr Ahern was speaking in Brussels following a meeting of the EU Council of Telecommunications.

At the meeting he urged continuing co-operation between member states in battling spam which now accounts for 50 per cent of all emails.

Mr Ahern said "The Irish Presidency is keen to explore opportunities for co-operation with the US in the fight against spam."

"We would like to take the opportunity of the Presidency to encourage our EU counterparts to engage in similar initiatives," Mr Ahern concluded.