Rollout of broadband is now essential for all

THE case for the rollout of rural broadband has been well made, but until now it has hardly been regarded as a matter of life and death. Yet the issues raised in the Dáil yesterday, by Fianna Fáil’s Margaret Murphy O’Mahony, suggest that it could be. Delays in the speed of connectivity in one hospital make the most basic work problematic.

The situation is so bad that if too many doctors are logged on at the same time there is the danger of one of them being locked out should they leave the screen for even a moment.

A doctor now is concerned that a new CT scan machine that is urgently needed may be too sophisticated, given the slowness of the broadband. Reports elsewhere around the country suggest that there are also difficulties.

For instance, doctors relying on telemedicine to assess patients in acute situations where time is of the essence are finding it impossible due to the slow speed of the service.

Last week, the plan for upgrading broadband services around the country was thrown into disarray when one of the main bidders for delivery suddenly withdrew.

Deadlines have already been missed and there is still too much uncertainty about how commitments can be met. But broadband is not an optional extra. Technology has insinuated itself into every aspect of life, and large swathes of the country cannot be deprived of its benefits indefinitely.