Release Date:
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Broadband Access Available in the North West
An ambitious and complex cross-border partnership project has succeeded has succeeded in providing high-speed broadband access to homes, businesses and communities in the north-west region. Sparsely populated, this geographically remote and largely rural area may not otherwise have attracted private service providers for some years yet.
The partnership comprised community group and the councils from Counties Donegal and Londonderry, and created Community Network Services (CNS) to manage the project. European Union support of €250,000 from the INTERREG IIIA programme part-financed the project, managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment. The International Fund for Ireland also supported the project.
Colm Mc Colgan, CNS Project Manager, explained that the complex infrastructural work involved in implementing the project was planned carefully... "to meet the current needs in priority order, but also to make provision for 'next generation' requirements and, at the same time, to create a rich web of connections with other exciting broadband initiatives taking place".
A high-speed core backbone network, involving 15 key link sites around Donegal, was created initially. Then a system of 'local customer access' networks was commissioned and installed at 50 sites. In addition, a major cross-border high speed broadband connection was created linking Derry to Letterkenny and the rest of Donegal, to better connect Donegal to the Northern Ireland networks.
"Demand for connection to the new service has been much higher than expected and after one year we have reached the levels we had expected to reach between years three and four," Colm commented .
CNS customers are enjoying the benefits broadband can bring to business:
- "It is as important as having roads to some people; it puts them in the same league as bigger towns," commented a letting agent from Convoy.
- "Broadband cuts down on paperwork. There is efficiency in communication with clients", said an accountant in Muff.
In such a fast moving field, it is not surprising that further exciting plans to harness the potential of high technology for the north-west are being explored.
For further information, contact colm.mccolgan@ernact.net
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