More than 11,500 premises in Laois between homes, businesses, farms, schools and community organisations can now avail of high-speed broadband under the National Broadband Plan.
A total of €49 million has been invested in Laois by National Broadband Ireland, the company rolling out the national plan.
Targeting areas that didn’t have good internet connection, over 13,000 premises in Laois qualified for fibre broadband and 88% (11,580) of them have now passed. There has been a 40% take up with 4,593 connections actually made in the county.
Existing broadband contracts or arrangements – or the additional cost of connecting – arguably accounts for the 60% that haven’t signed up. The average national rate is 35%.
Laois Fine Gael TD Willie Aird commented on the development this week as over 2,500 connections were made on Achill Island. Deputy Aird said that Fine Gael faced huge opposition when the National Broadband Plan was instigated by his party in 2019.
“In Laois the benefits of broadband have been immense. A growing number of businesses can now produce, distribute and sell their goods and services more competitively,” said Deputy Aird.
“Farmers have benefitted through smart farming, which allows remote monitoring of livestock, lower operational costs and reduced impact on the environment.
“The availability of high-speed broadband services has also allowed rural schools to benefit through facilitating innovative educational tools, granting access to specialist teaching resources and enabling equal engagement by distance learning.
“Crucially, broadband has also enabled remote working, which allows people to have more flexible working arrangements and to reduce their carbon footprint and urban sprawl by cutting down on commutes to large cities.
“The National Broadband Plan was first instigated by Fine Gael and the then Minister Richard Bruton in 2019. Fine Gael faced down tough opposition from all sides to this plan and were accused of political opportunism. Every other party was against it, wanted to prevent it or abandon it.
“Had Fine Gael not pressed ahead with our plan, the nationwide rollout of broadband would still be a pipe dream.
“Thankfully we are now on track to deliver a massive infrastructural project on time and in budget, with scope to grow for generations to come,” William Aird concluded.
Minister of Communications, Patrick O’Donovan, said that “the National Broadband Plan is one of the largest State infrastructure projects since rural electrification”.
