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Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte today announced a major telecommunications network build-out to rural Ireland, with fibre as a cornerstone of its investment under the National Broadband Plan.

The Minister said:

The provision of quality, reliable high speed broadband is a necessity for a 21st century economy and society. The last two years alone has seen dramatic increases in broadband usage and data traffic across broadband networks. This trend is set to continue as new applications and services emerge.

The Minister noted that since publication of the National Broadband Plan the commercial sector has responded strongly in urban and semi-urban areas, offering competitive high speed services to consumers over multiple technology platforms, and are now investing approximately €2bn in Ireland.

The Government has given the green light to the principle of a fibre build-out which will be the cornerstone of the State’s strategy to deliver high speed broadband to rural areas. Over 1,000 rural communities have already been identified as target areas for the proposed fibre based connections. The strategy will include additional measures to ensure that consumers and businesses can avail of services being provided off the new fibre network. It is envisaged that telecommunications operators will be able to offer multiple services off the fibre network, including fixed wireless, copper-based and mobile services, as well as offering the possibility of direct fibre connections.

This is a highly ambitious project, aimed at definitively addressing the broadband challenge in Ireland

...Minister Rabbitte said.

It is an investment for this generation and the next. By providing the critical fibre infrastructure as a key component of an end-to-end solution, we aim to ensure that services to rural communities can continue to scale up to meet demand, similar to the way in which the urban market has developed.

The Minister concluded:

This strategy not only supports balanced regional development, it also delivers a solution which is future proofed and capable of responding to new technology developments and increasing demand. It will ensure that all businesses and citizens across Ireland can participate in and maximise the benefits of a digitally enabled economy and society.

Read the full press release

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