Broadband: Expert calls for industry-Government collaboration

A formal engagement between industry and government is vital to ensuring 100% broadband availability in Ireland, an expert warned today.

Addressing the ComReg conference today Mr Gerry Fahy, chairman of IBEC’s Telecommunications and Internet Federation (TIF)and director of strategy for Vodafone, stated that the future of Ireland’s knowledge economy is “in all our hands”.

“Industry is investing a great deal in putting the broadband networks and infrastructure in place and in promoting and in competing for new broadband customers,” said Fahy.

“On its own, industry cannot address the digital deficit in relation to the last 10 to 15% and there is a clear need for Government funding to address that problem, which is primarily in rural areas, as has been recognised in other markets.”

Putting the infrastructure in place is only part of the solution, as consumers then have to embrace the new technology, he warned.

“Supply today far exceeds demand and we need to jointly study and understand the demand inhibitors, and learn from other markets. Demand issues have been tackled elsewhere by governments with very mixed results but only successfully with the joint collaboration of industry and Government.”

“We are calling on the Government to engage fully with industry to ensure we can jointly work to deliver on the national objective of a knowledge based society.

“There is no reason why broadband availability should not reach 100%. Anyone who wants broadband should be in a position to get it. It’s in all our hands.”