Institute hooks up to broadband rollout

VITAL maritime data is being transmitted from Norway to Ireland by high-speed broadband through fibre optic cables laid by Cork County Council.

The National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI) at Ringaskiddy has become the first customer to hook up to the local authority’s recently completed broadband project.

The project took three years to complete, at a cost of €20 million.

The county council has laid heavy-duty fibre optic cable underground to service industry in 14 towns.

These include Bantry, Blarney, Charleville, Carrigaline, Dunmanway, Fermoy, Kanturk, Kinsale, Mitchelstown, Midleton, Passage West, Ringaskiddy, Skibbereen and Youghal.

Captain John Clarence, who is in charge of the National Maritime College of Ireland, said the broadband hook-up was very important.

“For us it’s vital to have effective and high speed communications because our simulators, which replicate everything that happens on ships at sea, are regularly upgraded from Norway. The new broadband link will make it much faster,” Capt Clarence said.

“We also have a major international dimension and deal with colleagues in Europe and around the world. And because of the amount of IT and computing we need for the students and our other requirements we’ve been on the look-out for a faster speed and a more reliable type of service,” he added.

The maritime college provides training and education for the merchant marine and the non-military needs of the Irish Naval Service.

It has 420 students and boasts eight nationalities.

Several of the shipping companies served by the college are based at Singapore which makes having a high speed broadband connection absolutely vital.

“Our location down the harbour at Ringaskiddy is an ideal place for a maritime college. But we’ve been isolated in terms of communications because our internet and email access was outdated and rather slow.

“Now things have now fallen into place quite nicely,” Capt Clarence said.

Around 90% of the €20m Cork contract was funded through the Metropolitan Area Network Programme (MANP) run by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources.

Cork County Council funded the balance through local resources.

The project represents a key part of the Government’s drive to deliver broadband throughout the country.

The county council has applied for further funding of €25m to bring the 10 remaining towns in the county into the network.

Pat Farrell, the senior council engineer who oversaw the broadband project, said it was now open for business.