Another poll promise or broadband on demand?

Hundreds of thousands of rural dwellers can look forward to high-speed broadband in 2016 or 2017.

As an election promise, it could work for Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte, or backfire on him.

He has denied the announcement of the Government’s commitment to a telecommunications build-out to rural Ireland was a pre-election ploy ahead of European Parliament and local elections later this month.