€50m broadband boost for 160,000

A €50 MILLION investment in broadband technology could bring Ireland into line with other leading European nations, it was claimed yesterday.

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.