FG Cllr Andrew Reddington has lashed some internet providers as some customers have remained without fixed broadband services since January 24, a situation which “is causing significant disruption for small businesses and people who work remotely.
He added that the lengthy disruption to services raises the requirement for significant investment in Ireland’s rural broadband infrastructure to “future-proof” it against future storms.
Cllr Reddington stated: “There is a complete internet blackout in north Galway with no indication of when services will be restored. Communication between NBI service providers and customers have not been forthcoming. Unlike eir and Vodafone, ESB Networks provided estimated times and dates for the restoration of power supplies in relevant locations.
“The delay in restoring services is further compounded by NBI seemingly being caught off-guard without having adequate plans and contractors in place to respond to the network outages.
“The National Broadband Plan has been a huge success and has resulted in rural communities across Ireland being able to avail of high-speed broadband. However, the frailties in our national broadband infrastructure have been badly exposed in the same way as our electricity infrastructure has been during the recent storm.
“Fibre has been deployed on more than one million poles, many of which have been in place for decades and which are susceptible to strong winds. The roll-out of fibre broadband across Ireland was a lost opportunity to future-proof the infrastructure, especially when you consider the €2.7 billion planned investment in its roll-out.,” he said.
“I will be relaying the urgent requirement to come up with solutions to this problem, including the need to consider placing fibre underground, where possible, with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
“In the meantime, I am calling on government to engage with the more than 50 broadband providers on the NBI network to step up efforts to restore services and to engage with customers who have been provided with little or no information since January 24,” he concluded.
