Council not a broadband provider

BROADBAND is as important as water to Wexford businesses – Cllr Malcolm Byrne said, but his call for the council to consider providing a broadband service received a poor reception in the chamber.

In a motion Cllr Byrne said: ‘Given the failure of the Government’s National Broadband Strategy and the inadequacy of broadband provision in parts of County Wexford that the county council’s economic office prepare an options paper to ensure the provision of broadband to all parts of County Wexford before year end.’

Cllr Byrne said: ‘I know some excellent work is being done by our own economic office but the national broadband service doesn’t work once you go outside the four main towns. It’s patchy at best.

‘Broadband is as essential as water for modern businesses. We need to look as a council to ensure that there is broadband provision in the same way that we provide sewerage and water.’

Cllr Byrne suggested that the council should roll out its own broadband strategy, saying businesses in the county cannot wait any longer.

‘We need to look at this practically in the same way we provide water and sewerage. I am looking for an options paper. At least we should look at what effectively can be done.’

Director of Services for Economic Development Tony Larkin said he supported the spirit of the motion. ‘But we don’t provide a railway, bus, water or sewerage services. They are all being provided by private operators. We work with local broadband providers but we have no technical expertise and we have no capacity to provide broadband.’