LOUTH BROADBAND COVERAGE RAISED IN THE DAIL DEBATE

THERE was worrying news for the approx 14 per cent of premises in Louth which are dependant on the State Intervention of the National Broadband Plan, with the news that only one bidder remains in the procurement process for the National Broadband Plan.

As the controversy over the roll out of the National Broadband Plan took yet another twist with the news that eir was pulling out of the procurement process, Louth’s Sinn Fein TD Deputy Gerry Adams wanted to know what implications this would have for broadband coverage blackspots in the county,

Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughton TD, referred to the maps for the roll out of the National Boardband Plan and informed him in response to a written question him that there were just over 60,000 premises in Louth, and approximately 8,500 (14%) fall within the amber area and will be covered under the State led Intervention.

Just over 49,000 (82%) of premises are in a blue area and are or will be covered by commercial providers, while approximately 2,500 (4%) are light blue and fall to be covered by eir’s planned rural deployment.

‘Delivering high speed broadband to citizens across Ireland remains a firm commitment of mine and this Government,’ he stated. He pledged that practical initiatives will continue to be ad- dressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.

This includes the identification and tackling of mobile phone and broadband coverage blackspots. The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and the Department of Rural and Community Development worked with a pilot group of local authorities, including Louth County Council, to identify the issues associated with mapping local blackspot.