The Chambers Ireland Digital Council has called on the Government to tender for the upgrade all rural telecom exchanges. Chambers Ireland says that without this development some 15% of the population may never have access to broadband over telephone lines.
'We propose that the Government should fund, via a public tender, the upgrade of the last 700 exchanges, serving communities of less than 1,500 people in rural areas to enable these exchanges to offer DSL, commented Seán Murphy of the Digital Council
He said that these communities will always face issues of e-exclusion in the absence of an upgrade of these exchanges.
'The approximate cost for installing DSL compatible equipment in these exchanges is €10m, an additional €60m would enable the upgrading of the backhaul link to these link exchanges,' he noted.
'If Ireland is to remain on a par with its competitors, then it must invest in the creation of a digital society', he added.
