Eircom – a company owned by an Australian pension fund – is looking for State support to bring high speed broadband access to the nine gateway towns and cities identified in the National Spatial Strategy. According to the paper of record:
The cities are Dublin, Cork, Limerick/Shannon, Galway, Waterford, Dundalk, Sligo, Letterkenny and the midland towns of Athlone/Tullamore/Mullingar. These urban areas are home to almost 70 per cent of the Republic’s population.
Eircom is believed to be looking for the State to provide some of the funding for the upgrade, which would cost about €500 million, because of the current tight credit markets. To avoid accusations of unfair subsidies for the telco, Eircom would be split into a wholesale and networks division and a retail division.
So eircom want up to half a billion euro from the Irish state and as an inducement, Eircom would offer something that they’ve been trying to do for years anyway. I’m no Mulley but…
It would be good if the deal could go through because then all ‘those people’ looking for asylum in Ireland and getting €19.10 a week in accommodation centres could get access to high speed broadband. Just what they’ve always wanted. Welcome to Ireland, here’s €19.10 and high speed broadband.
53 degrees 
i think they should try and get the other 30%(of almost solely irish citizens by the way) sorted with some form of broadband first.
but noel dempsey will always make the wrong choice anyway.
Agreed B but it is hardly that important when compared to good health care, rights for disabled people or an asylum system that refuses people a tad more justice.