The Minister for Communications Dermot Ahern has rejected claims today that thousands of people in both urban and rural area have been denied access to broadband.
Mr Ahern says there is no reason why individuals cannot sign up for a wireless or satellite form of the fast internet service - if Eircom or one of the other independent telecommunications companies cannot provide them with broadband.
The need for fast internet access on a broadband network has been one of the key demands put on the Government and the telecommunications companies over the course of the last three years.
So far 80,000 customers have been signed up for the digital subscriber lines but the shortcomings of the system have led to more and more complaints in recent months as business and domestic users found out they could not receive the service over their phone line.
