More high-speed broadband network needed for businesses, says expert

BUSINESS communities in Cork and Waterford need more expansive high-speed broadband networks, according to a leading industry expert.

Conal Henry, chief executive of Enet, the company which holds the concession to manage Ireland’s Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) across 93 cities and towns, has warmly welcomed the call by Forfás in their Broadband Benchmarking Report to have the MANs in Cork and Waterford expanded.

Forfás is also seeking new networks in Ireland’s five designated national spatial strategy centres – Shannon, Ennis, Mallow, Tuam and Castlebar – which do not currently have a MAN.

“Given the success of the MANs to date, if these further policy innovations advocated by Forfás were fully and speedily adopted, Ireland could rapidly move to the forefront of the global table in the provision of top quality, fibre-based broadband,” said Mr Henry.

Mr Henry welcomed the report’s assertion that “advanced broadband networks and services are essential to enable Ireland to support the smart economy” and that “the availability of high quality broadband is strategically important to improving productivity, facilitating innovation and supporting regional development”.

The Enet chief executive said that those city areas which had received metropolitan networks had seen a real enhancement in their business activities.

And he reiterated the report’s call for changes to planning regulations to mandate fibre ducting in all new public, commercial and residential premises.