Accepting Eir broadband offer ‘would be illegal’

Accepting Eir’s offer to deliver the National Broadband Plan at a cut price would be illegal, top officials in the Department of Communications have claimed. The plan to deliver high-speed broadband to every home in the country has been the subject of delays and controversy with the cost spiralling from an initial €500m to around €3bn.

Eir chief executive Carolan Lennon last week said the company could deliver the NBP for under €1bn. Appearing before the Oireachtas communications committee, Department of Communications secretary general Mark Griffin dismissed Eir’s offer, claiming it would delay the rollout of rural broadband by three years and break State aid rules.