There are calls for the government to intervene to try to speed up the rollout of the National Broadband Plan, after its emerged that some parts of Clare may have to wait longer for the rollout than other counties.
Over 22,500 premises here are due to be connected under the plan, but only 3,500 have been surveyed to date.
Only 16% of the surveys required for the rollout of the National Broadband Plan in Clare have been carried out to date, half the national average.
The earliest survey works were concentrated in areas of East and South-East Clare, closest to Limerick with the planned works extending out from existing infrastucture.
Other surveys will eminate from the Gort area for similar reasons.
National Broadband Ireland has stressed that they’ll invest 89 million on broadband here and that the rollout of fibre will be based on the principle that allows broadband to be delivered to people as quickly as possible, but this strategy inevitibly means that some areas will have to wait longer to be connected.
Inagh-based CEO of Muintir na Tíre, Niall Garvey says people should at the very least be given some indication of how long they’ll have to wait.
There’s a push on for more people to work from home once the pandemic is over and already more and more people are beginning to look towards more remote areas like West Clare to settle down.
But Lisseycasey Fianna Fáil Councillor PJ Kelly insists that as it stands, the infrastructure simply isn’t in place to do that.
The Fianna Fáil Councillor believes that if the Government stepped in and offered an incentive, the rollout of the National Broadband Plan could be fast-tracked there.
