County and Group Broadband schemes

Broadband is central to the development of a knowledge-based economy throughout Ireland. Areas without broadband will soon find that they are losing out by not being able to take advantage of Internet-centred developments in education, banking, research, business, etc.
However, for a variety of technical reasons, there are areas of the country that do not have access to broadband. Typically these are the smaller or more remote communities, or those that are spread over a wide geographic area. Some areas in larger towns can also be outside the reach of broadband services.

In order to overcome this digital divide, the County and Group Broadband Scheme was established in 2003. This initiative, by the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, aims to promote a partnership approach in the provision of broadband services. It provides grant aid to service providers who form partnerships with local communities, to provide sustainable broadband service to their areas.

Regional coordinators have been appointed to provide information on the scheme to community organisations, business groups, local authority and service providers.

The coordinator for the South West Regional Authority, covering Cork and Kerry, is Billy Sheehan (phone: 021-4876877, email: bsheehan@swra.ie). Details of the scheme are provided on the South West Regional Authority website together with information on the current applications. You can also register your interest in broadband on line.

Already more than a hundred communities around Cork County have applied for broadband in their area under the scheme.

INFORMATION