A survey of 601 small and medium sized enterprises reveals that three out of 10 companies who tried to upgrade their Internet access to broadband failed. The survey said this was mainly due to a lack of availability of the required service in their area.
The survey was published by the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland today and was undertaken in association with ESB Customer Supply.
It showed that just 29% of companies access the Internet via broadband and one third still use a standard phone line.
The findings also show that a clear regional divide still exists. It found that while two thirds of companies in the Dublin region have broadband, this figure fell to 41% and 44% in the Midland and Border regions.
'By unlocking the full potential of the digital marketplace, many of these challenges can be tackled. If Ireland is to maintain and expand its role in the global economy then it is imperative that our ICT infrastructure be developed to a world class standard. This will be possible only with effective Government policy that is both committed and sustained,' commented CCI's Head of Research Sean Murphy.
