Government’s record on broadband ‘an absolute disgrace’

DEPUTY Michael Moynihan has said he is not surprised by the latest reports on broadband, which have found that Cork has some of the lowest broadband speeds in the country.

“Anyone living or working in rural Cork is more than familiar with the sub-standard broadband service that is available here,” Deputy Moynihan commented. “It’s a major issue for businesses who are struggling to remain competitive in an online environment, and are unable to undertake basic services like sending emails because the broadband provision is so poor.”

He said the average broadband speed in Dublin is 45Mbps while in Cork it’s 17Mbps.

He criticised the last government’s record on broadband as “an absolute disgrace” and said the new administration isn’t dealing with the issue either.

“The National Broadband Plan has fallen well behind its original targets and instead of taking concrete action to ensure that broadband is rolled out, the government is continuing to move the goalposts,” he said.

The National Broadband Plan, first published in 2012, promised that high speed broadband would be available in 90% of homes and businesses by the end of 2015; that was changed to 85% by 2019, before a pledge of 100% by 2022 was made. “Now it looks like it will be 2023 before the plan will be delivered. This is a ridiculous situation,” said Moynihan.

“High speed broadband is no longer a luxury. It is now an essential service for homes and businesses right across the country. How are we expected to attract outside investment if the broadband capabilities are not up to scratch? This is another example of this government’s complete neglect of rural Ireland.

“If the Minister is serious about improving broadband provision, he needs to outline what measures he will take to speed up the roll-out of the National Plan, and whether he will commit to increasing the standards as set by the European Commission,” Deputy Moynihan said.