Published: Wednesday, 17th February, 2010 4:41pm

Much greater broadband penetration on way for Meath

Damien Gallagher, National Broadband Scheme project director, 3
Pic by==: 97

The long-awaited Government National Broadband Scheme (NBS) is now well underway throughout Ireland, with leading mobile broadband provider 3, rolling out one of the most advanced wireless technologies in the world, which will be complete by October 2010.

This is great news for the most rural and isolated regions of the country which will see the remaining 10 per cent of the population get the most badly needed service since the electrification of Ireland in the 1940s and '50s.

As with all new technologies and services, there are bound to be lots of questions like - how will this affect me or change my life?

Broadband is the future of communications - not just for business and personal email use, but also for other internet services such as phone calls via internet, video conferencing, e-business, streaming video and digital TV.

From a family perspective, broadband has the potential to transform life as we know it. People will now be able to work part-time or full-time from their homes which will help cut commuting times and enable people to spend more time with their families. In essence, people will be able to live where they want and work when they want.

As an educational tool, broadband opens up a whole new world to schoolchildren and third-level students alike. For those returning to education or simply interested in learning a new language, broadband provides the flexibility of studying from home.

For entertainment, music, movies and games can also be more easily accessed and all types of shopping can be carried out online.

For rural business, broadband means faster access to all types of information and faster and cheaper communication with other business all over the world. Broadband will unlock the door to new customers all over the world in a way you may never have thought was possible.

So, in a far cheaper and simpler way, broadband from 3 will help to reduce costs in 2010, increase sales by enabling customers to order online, help you to become more responsive to customer needs and to win more business as a result.

Another benefit of 3's broadband technology is its ability to bring us all closer together. Within rural communities, this will help tackle many challenges such as social exclusion, isolation and help sustain small populations in isolated and disadvantaged areas.

People will be able to get instant access to public services and pursue leisure and fun interests, keep in touch with relatives and friends abroad and also liaise with organisations such as in the medical sector.

3 Ireland have been busy in implementing the rollout of the first phase of broadband services which began last April and the programme will continue right up to near the end of 2010. Over the last 10 months, the NBS has provided broadband services to areas across 25 counties. Recently, we have enjoyed landmarks such as the provision of broadband services to the people of the Aran Islands and reaching 100 per cent coverage for NBS areas in both Laois and Wexford.

In Meath, the following areas already have access to broadband as part of the NBS: Ardbraccan, Bective, Clonmacduff, Cloghbrack, Killeagh, Kilmore, Crosskeys and Moylagh.

It has never been a more important time for people and businesses in Ireland to be connected, as we strive to remain competitive during tough economic times. 3 has played a leading role in driving the delivery of broadband services in Ireland, and we look forward to strengthening our market-leading position through our innovative services and the best value for customers. 

3 was awarded the National Broadband Scheme contract by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to provide access to affordable, scalable broadband services to rural areas, many of which do not currently have any broadband service. The National Broadband Scheme sees an estimated €223m in investment by 3, of which a maximum of €79.8m will be contributed by the Government and EU.

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