€50m broadband boost for 160,000
Communications Minister Noel Dempsey said the cash boost will supply 160,000 people with cheap, always-on internet access in 35 towns over the next 12 months.
It is hoped the new network will redress the imbalance between rural and urban areas. Figures from the Central Statistics Office revealed that almost two-thirds of homes in Ireland are missing out on the information age through the internet.
Researchers found 650,000, or 46% of the country's households, had a computer but only 38% were wired to the web.
The CSO study showed that, despite the last decade and a half of economic success, Ireland lagged far behind many other European countries in encouraging more online surfers.
In Norway, the Netherlands, Germany and Britain, more than half of all homes had access to the internet last year, while 79% of Danish households had a computer and almost two-thirds were hooked up to the net.
The grant will finance a high-speed regional network and a digital corridor link-up between Letterkenny and Derry. Work on the project is due to begin in spring and will take no more than 12 months to complete, he added.
The 35 towns are Athenry, Ballinasloe, Ballybofey/Stranorlar, Bantry, Blarney, Carrigaline, Castleisland, Castlerea, Claremorris, Clifden, Clones, Cobh, Dingle, Furbo, Kenmare, Kildare, Killarney, Kinsale, Listowel, Longford, Maynooth, Midleton, Mitchelstown, Navan, Nenagh, Newbridge, Passage West, Rathangan, Ringaskiddy, Sallins, Skibbereen, Tralee, Trim and Youghal.
The scheme involves the construction of 3,200km of duct infrastructure - 200,000 fibre kilometres.
The projects, grant-aided by the Government as part of the National Development Plan are co-funded by the EU. A further 10 broadband project proposals are being assessed by the Government and a decision will be taken on them in the New Year. Proposals for 50 other towns will be invited over the coming months.
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