Idle broadband network ready ‘in weeks’

THE Department of Communications has promised a €90 million broadband infrastructure lying idle since last summer will be free to use by the end of this month.

Construction on fibreoptic rings around 60 towns was completed in early 2008, and last summer a company called E Net was announced as the preferred bidder to manage these Metropolitan AreaNetworks (MANs).

However, since then the department has failed to finalise a deal with E Net and just two towns are benefiting from the improved broadband made possible by the MANs.