The wait for access to high speed broadband is imposing a high costs on local businesses.
Speaking in the Seanad this morning, Roscommon based Senator Eugene Murphy highlighted the impact of connection times of up to 3 years on a well known stone business.
Hanly Quarries operated from Elphin and provides concrete, lime and other materials across the west and midlands including to several local authorities.
According to Senator Murphy, the company is losing up to €500,000 in revenue each year due to poor phone and Internet infrastructure.
Older phone lines and a lack of a wired Internet connection is resulting in a number of challenges when it comes to day to day business.
Addressing Minister with responsibility for the roll out of the National Broadband plan, Ossian Smyth, the Roscommon Senator called for help for businesses still face years on waiting lists:
'The broadband speed are met at present through radio frequency from Biotell, the best speed that can be provided is 10mb down and 2mb up.
It's barely enough to service this business and at present is causing constant issues with internet banking in relation to weekly wages.
This is a shocking scenario, where firms come to and tell you they are in the middle of doing the weekly wages on the system and it stops as its not strong enough to deliver.'
Replying to the local Senator, Minister Smyth said that the NBP is a 7 year rollout and is working as fast as possible.
However, he undertook to liaise directly with Hanly's Quarries to identify any possible short term solutions:
'This is a seven year roll out plan, that started in 2020 and completes at the end of 2026.
If you're scheduled to be connected at the end of 2026, I can imagine your disappointment but that's the rate it's being delivered at.
It will be delivered on time and it will be delivered on budget. For anyone who needs to do anything in the meantime, their options are fixed wireless internet or low Earth orbit satellite connection are the two stopgap solutions.
If you give me the contact details of this company I'm happy to liaise directly with them or through my office to see what can be done in the meantime.'
