Rural broadband project ‘still on track’ despite latest blow
BROADBAND consortium Enet yesterday insisted its tender to bring high-speed service to rural Ireland is on track.
The latest blow to the troubled project came when infrastructure giant SSE left Enet, prompting opposition TDs to claim that the “wheels have come off ” the National Broadband Plan (NBP).
Fianna Fáil said it was the “latest disaster” to befall the NBP and claimed it was reflective of Fine Gael’s “lazy attitude” to rural areas.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin branded the idea of having fibre-optic internet across the country by 2020 “a fantasy” and called for the job to be given to Stateowned ESB Networks.
The proposals to bring higher quality broadband to 500,000 people in rural locations across Ireland have been repeatedly hit by setbacks.
But Enet, which is now the only bidder for the contract, said last night that its tender would be ready within weeks, despite the withdrawal of SSE.
SSE gave no reason for the decision but said it wished its former partners – Granahan McCourt, John Laing plc and the Irish Infrastructure Fund – and the Government well in the project.
Enet chairman David McCourt said the consortium was built to include “the best global expertise in building networks, particularly in telecoms, and in co-ordinating all of the elements required to finance a project of this size in partnership with Government”.
He added: “To this we have added world-leading funds committed to the development of infrastructure around the world and to the NBP in particular.”
Mr McCourt said the process was “very much on track”.
“We’re just weeks away from submitting our final tender,” he said.
“The team is very focused on concluding the procurement phase of this project and moving swiftly into delivery.”
But Fianna Fáil communications spokesman Timmy Dooley said: “At every stage where progress was due, Fine Gael moved the goalposts to deflect from their abject failure.
“With SSE withdrawing from the Enet bid, it’s crystal clear that none of the companies capable of delivering the National Broadband Plan can see an avenue towards a decent financial return.
“Time and time again, Fine Gael and their partners in Government, whoever they may be, have failed to deliver the hard cash needed to roll out the National Broadband Plan.”
Sinn Féin’s Brian Stanley said the model for broadband being proposed by the Government was “not sustainable”.
He argued the only way to deliver fibre-optic internet to every home in the country is to give the job to the State-owned ESB Networks.
“The idea that we will have fibre in every home by 2020 with the current model is a Fine Gael-led fantasy,” he said.
Rural Affairs Minister Sean Kyne rejected the opposition claims that the plan is “failing”, saying it is “still on course”.