Call to tackle broadband deficit
Just 16% of Irish internet households have access to broadband compared to the EU average of 48%, it emerged today.
The Central Statistics Office figures were seized upon by Labour’s Communications spokesperson, Tommy Broughan TD, who said effective and comprehensive action must be taken to end the country’s broadband deficit.
Deputy Broughan spoke out following the latest round of consultations being held by Communications Minister Noel Dempsey.
He said: “The Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources is currently conducting a public consultation process on its recently published discussion document on broadband demand in the Irish market. Because of the continuing dismal level of broadband penetration in the Irish market, any initiatives by the Department to tackle this deficit must be welcomed.
“Yet, it is clear that there is already significant existing demand for broadband services across the country that is not being met because of the serious market deficiencies.
“One of the key problems has been Minister Dempsey’s ongoing failure to strengthen ComReg’s powers through new legislation, especially in the area of advancing local loop unbundling.”
In addition to these critical supply-side issues, the Labour Party has also put forward a number of suggestions in its submission to the department to stimulate broadband demand.
These include a national public information campaign on broadband; the incorporation of local government institutions in local broadband roll out; the establishment of a national information technology education programme; laptops for secondary school children; the development of urban and other regional wireless ‘hot zones.’
Deputy Broughton added: “I hope that some of the submissions that are now being presented to the department are urgently acted upon by the minister. With the dismal performance of Ireland in international broadband league tables, reinforced yet again by today’s figures from the CSO, it is astonishing that the department is still embarking on a consultation process instead of tackling this very damaging infrastructural deficit.”
The figures were revealed in the Information Society and Telecommunications 2005 report.
