State-owned broadband unused by Government

LESS than 1% of Government business carried out on the internet makes use of the State-owned broadband infrastructure, it emerged yesterday.

Despite some €120 million of taxpayers’ money being spent to date on the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) — a nationwide web of internet hubs to bring broadband to the regions — the Government still uses Eircom for 90% of its online activity.

Fianna Fáil TD Noel O’Flynn, who chairs the Joint Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resource, questioned why the State-owned asset was not being used.