Sir, – As a worker in the technology industry, I attempt to work from home. But with upload speeds that barely support my international conference calls, and download speeds that inhibit access to the data I need to do my job, it is a daily struggle.
On many occasions I have had to apologise to international colleagues for being unable to share my screen during calls, because it will cause the audio to stop working.
Several times a year the internet will go down for days on end. The cable has been eaten by cows, the cards in the telephone cabinet have been chewed by rodents, wind has snapped the lines, and rain has shorted the connection box up on the poles. The creaking infrastructure is patched up each time until the next time.
I am unable to effectively work from home in the modern economy. But I am not living up some mountain boreen, but two miles from Ennis, Ireland’s information town of the future, back in 1997.
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To the Government, I would say that I honestly don’t care anymore how it is to be done. Just get on with it. Do something.
And to Opposition politicians, I would ask them to please stop using this issue to score points with the electorate.
There are over half a million people who need access to the modern economy, and who will remember that at the ballot box. – Yours, etc,
DONAL McERLEAN,
Ennis,
Co Clare.
A chara, – Is it too late to ask the 1947 to 1965 rural electrification project team to get involved in the high-speed broadband project? It somehow managed to connect 300,000 homes to the national grid and without sending one email. – Is mise,
DERMOT O’ROURKE,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Some 80 officials at the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment are dealing with the procurement process for the National Broadband Plan. I wonder if any of these officials live in offline rural Ireland? I suggest not, as otherwise these faceless officials may have demonstrated some level of urgency in trying to resolve the situation.
When I try to access the department’s National Broadband Plan website, the message “401 Unauthorsed” is displayed. This is the most accurate piece of information that the NBP’s website page has ever published. I appreciate the honesty and transparency. – Yours, etc,
MARTIN COOPER,
Broadford,
Co Clare.
Sir, – After the shambles of a negotiation regarding the roll-out of rural broadband, I wonder what sort of a mess our Government will make of Brexit. It will probably put a dog’s dinner to shame. – Yours, etc,
LIAM POWER,
Dundalk,
Co Louth.