Broadband rollout five years behind - Vital infrastructure

UNDER the 2011 Programme for Government, a high-speed fibre broadband service was to be delivered to 90% of homes and businesses within four years.

Despite the ongoing rhetoric of the coalition partners, it now looks like it will take another six years to achieve that, a failure that could have major implications for our economy and even stall a still very fragile recovery.

Instead of the programme being close to completion, 40% of the population remains outside the reach of high-speed broadband, let alone fibre optic services.