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Fear that broadband is years away yet

October 12th, 2017 10:22 AM

By Southern Star Team

Cork North West TD, Aindrias Moynihan

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Rural West Cork dwellers are concerned and frustrated about the delivery of the National Broadband Plan following the decision of SIRO to pull out of the tender process.

RURAL West Cork dwellers are concerned and frustrated about the delivery of the National Broadband Plan following the decision of SIRO to pull out of the tender process.

That’s according to Cork North West TD, Aindrias Moynihan who said: ‘With one of the three bidders pulling out, this is a further reduction in the potential capacity of the remaining consortiums to deliver the high speed quality broadband to rural Ireland.’

He said many people in rural communities in the locality had been in touch with him to voice their worry. 

‘Eir’s work in rolling out broadband on a commercial basis is a decent start for some communities; however, there are many villages and townlands outside Eir’s scope of work. People living in these areas are very worried that the state’s broadband rollout won’t reach them for many, many years.’

He said the decision by SIRO highlighted the ‘dysfunction at the heart of this government initiative.’

‘The convoluted, ham fisted and drawn out process under the watch of successive ministers has clearly forced SIRO’s hand in this matter.’

He added: ‘With just two potential bidders now in the mix, the imperative must be to award a tender as quickly as possible, and deliver broadband to the over 500,000 people desperately in need of a quality service.’

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