eBusiness body partners with Cork IT firm
The representative body for digital and online sellers is to partner with a Cork company to improve broadband connectivity in rural areas.
Digital Business Ireland has announced the partnership OpenOut, which deals with connectivity problems in areas traditionally difficult to reach through the main broadband companies.
OpenOut was founded to improve connectivity issues affecting rural Ireland, such as poor cellular coverage to unavailability of broadband, in order to allow rural businesses to adopt new technologies like a website, social media presence, or to engage in eCommerce (online shopping).
Digital Business Ireland is a not-for-profit representative body made up of 3,400 digital businesses from a range of sectors including technology, retail, hospitality, professional services, travel, transport, education, leisure, agri-business and property.
"We are delighted to team up with OpenOut to help rural businesses who are finding it difficult to avail of all the possibilities online presents because of the lack of effective connectivity in some areas," said Lorraine Higgins, Chief Executive of Digital Business Ireland.
"We are all aware of the many challenges faced in bridging the digital divide between urban and rural Ireland. If nothing else, the current Covid-19 crisis has taught us that digital infrastructure, in our businesses, educational settings and at home must be robust enough to meet the challenges of the future.
"We look forward to working with OpenOut to achieve this and to ensure that each and every business has the capacity to fully realise their digital potential."
"The absence of reliable connectivity can cause rural businesses to be hesitant in adopting new technologies," said Peter Walsh, CEO of OpenOut.
"OpenOut is committed to helping rural businesses overcome the digital hurdles placed in their way, to grow, thrive and encourage people to work and live in rural areas.
"In order to do this effectively, we provide homes and businesses with workable solutions such as mobile Signal Boosters to improve cellular coverage in premises, mobile broadband for those who do not have access to traditional broadband, provision of WiFi Hot-Spots in public areas such as tourist attractions, town centres and shopping malls.
"With many businesses embracing online to offset the worst of the recent pandemic we are glad to help provide digital equality."
OpenOut Ltd is a sister company of CosakUK which has 25 years experience in the IT and telecommunications industry.
