Pledge for over 75% of Ireland to have high-speed broadband access by end of 2018

Communications Minister Denis Naughten has pledged more than three-quarters of the country will have access to high-speed broadband by the end of next year.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Mr Naughten also said the process of connecting some 540,000 homes and premises in rural spots under the national broadband plan will begin next year. Reiterating previous comments about the roll-out of fast internet access here, he said Ireland could end up being a “global leader” in providing high-speed broadband in isolated rural communities.

The national broadband plan, as well as the use of private firms to bring access to high-speed internet in homes nationwide, has been beset by delays and tendering problems. The plan was first mooted in 2012 and the parallel processes of the state-subsidised schemes for 540,000 properties and private connections for hundreds of thousands of others have been delayed.