REVEALED: Where the new high speed rural broadband is going in local rural areas

eir has vowed to deliver high-speed broadband to 2,875 premises in eight South Westmeath communities and 1,965 in eight South Roscommon areas by the end of 2018.

The number of premises in each of the communities in South Westmeath and South Roscommon are listed in the table below.

Also pictured are broadband maps of Westmeath and Roscommon, provided by the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, which outlines how the Government plans to provide high speed broadband across both counties.

According to eir, there will be 7,913 premises in 23 rural areas across all of Westmeath connected to high speed broadband under an extension of the rural fibre broadband scheme.

In the full county of Roscommon, 6,925 premises in 25 rural area will be connected under the plans.

Welcoming the announcement this week by Minister Denis Naughten, eir said already more than 28,000 homes and businesses in Westmeath and 13,000 in Roscommon have access to high speed broadband.

Since June 2012, eir has invested close to €450 million in its Next Generation Access network to provide high speed broadband throughout Ireland. This has been a vital part of its overall capital expenditure of €1.5bn during the same period.

eir has now commenced a new investment programme, costing an additional €200m, which directly benefits rural Ireland.

With this investment, eir will upgrade its infrastructure in 890 communities throughout the country, erecting new pole and fibre cable infrastructure along 23,000 kilometres of Irish roads, representing more than half the circumference of the world. The programme will be completed by the end of 2018, which it said will be two years ahead of its initial deadline of 2020.

As a result of this initiative, the percentage of premises with access to high speed broadband will rise from 70% to 80% by the end of 2018.

Commenting on the announcement, Richard Moat, eir CEO, said: “We remain fully supportive of the Government’s strategy and the Minister’s personal commitment to ensure that all premises in Ireland will be supplied with high speed broadband, either by commercial operators such as ourselves, or through the Government’s National Broadband Plan as quickly as possible.”
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten on Tuesday announced that he had paved the way to ensure that an additional 300,000 premises across Ireland can access high speed broadband within 90 weeks.  

These premises were previously part of the State Intervention Area but will now be provided by Eir.

Minister Naughten said: “In 2016 only 52% of premises in Ireland had access to High Speed Broadband (HSB). With this latest development 77% of premises will have access to HSB by the end of 2018 and the majority of the remaining premises will have access by the end of 2020.”

Where the new broadband is going. Areas and number of premises

SOUTH WESTMEATH

Athlone 440

Ballinahown 191

Ballymore 309

Blyry 292

Glasson 888

Moate 453

Moyvore 143

Rosemount 150

SOUTH ROSCOMMON

Athleague 178

Ballydangan 217

Ballyforan 255

Cornafulla 363

Curraghboy 189

Kiltoom 310

Knockcroghery 502

Taughmaconnell 221