Rural broadband plan: 5G technology is unproven

THE government is being encouraged to abandon or at least limit in scope its National Broadband Plan for rural Ireland. Imagine Communications, the wireless broadband provider, is promising to provide up to half a million users with high-speed broadband via a roof aerial by building hundreds of masts in rural areas.

The offer is tempting: Imagine says it will invest up to €300 million in its service using 5G technology and the company will not be seeking any state subsidy. That could potentially save the taxpayer €1billion.

It is however, an offer the Government should resist as any scaling back of the project could cause further delays.. The National Broadband Plan will involve the roll out of fibre cables, which are 'future proof' while 5G technology is very new and, as yet, unproven in its ability to replace a tried and tested system on any grand scale.

Imagine is not the only commercial operator to promise investment in rural areas. Last week, Eir outlined its plans for a substantial new investment in fibre broadband roll-out. What Eir and Imagine are offering is very welcome but only as an addition to the essential communications infrastructure that the proper and full rollout of the NBP can offer.

The NBP has been dogged by obfuscation, delay and controversy almost since its inception. It is now essential that it become a reality sooner rather than later.