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.

Fine Gael spokesman Simon Coveney said it was as if there was a “motorway system” built around the outskirts of these towns which remained unused because the Government could not work out how it should be managed.

“It is just really sloppy project management on behalf of the department. I don’t accept it has taken nearly a year to put the management contract in place. There is just no excuse. There is no way a private company would take this long and it reflects really poorly on minister Eamon Ryan and the department’s priorities on this issue,” he said.

A statement from the department said in its defence it had to ensure proper procedures were in place and was committed to signing with a permanent partner soon.

“It is envisaged that this process will conclude before the end of the month. A detailed procurement process has been necessary to ensure the delivery of the best possible contract for the state,” it said.

Yesterday the preferred bidder for the project, E Net, was not as optimistic of completing the deal by the end of March. Its head of marketing Niall Beirne said: “In relation to Phase II, the contracts are not in place. E Net is the preferred bidder and discussions with the department are ongoing. It’s possible that things will be wrapped up [by the end of March] but the devil is in the detail,” he said.

This is the second phase of the MAN project after 27 were laid between 2003 and 2005, costing €78 million.