Cllr Brian Collins, Cathaoirleach of Kells Town Council and a candidate for Labour in the County Council Elections has said that the National Broadband Scheme announced by Communications Minister Eamon Ryan on Friday is an attempt to solve tomorrow’s problems with yesterday’s technology.

“To put it charitably, this plan is underwhelming. For example the scheme provides for upload speeds of 1.8 mbps for businesses using wireless, or 128 kbps for those using satellite. That’s scarcely better than a dial-up modem! At the same time our international competitors in places like India, China and Japan enjoy speeds of 40 mbps. In other words, Ireland is not at the races and has no prospect of ever being at the races if Eamon Ryan has his way.  What we need is next-generation broadband so that leading edge technology companies and Green energy companies can compete at international level. What we got was Ryan’s hodge-podge of wireless, satellite and land line solutions and that will leave Ireland in the technological dark ages.”

“The recently published Forfas competitiveness report places Ireland 12th out of 14 countries in terms of broadband cost, and 9th in terms of speed. Businesses large and small will look upon this scheme as too little too late, and one that will do nothing to deliver much-needed economic activity in areas of the country that are already struggling with unemployment an burgeoning emigration. The Minister claims that there will be two upgrades during the course of the scheme but his failure to provide any sort of detail on this, does not fill me confidence.”

“The Minister also claims that just 10 per cent of the population in 33 per cent of areas, are currently without a broadband service. I would seriously question those figures, and I am curious as to where the Minister got them. This Government must acknowledge that broadband is the number one infrastructure issue that this country faces and we need a plan of action to put a world-class broadband system in place.  Today’s announcement falls far short of that and is at best, a sticking plaster solution to a problem of critical national importance.”