Connect with us

Local News

Cobh Business interests being held back by Government neglect

Published

on

Photo: Mike Bardsley/Cobh Edition

Cobh Broadband action group met with Sean Sherlock TD in Cobh this week.  This was the third meeting with representatives of the political parties of Fine Gael, Fine Fail and finally Labour. 

None of them to date have been able to explain or offer solutions to the lack of high speed broadband in the mutiple blackspots of Cobh. Despite the National Broadband plans, rural broadband plans, Siro roll-out and fibre optic cable cabinets, large parts of Cobh urban area and without effective broadband.

Sean Sherlock was presented with a detailed analysis compiled by the group that shows exactly each area in the town that has been missed by all the providers and government initiatives. He said ‘this is the most comprehensive, incisive report that I have seen on this issue’.
The meeting heard numerous instances of the effects of low broadband speeds in the town such as:  
Tourism and other business had to relocate their offices in order to acquire proper broadband. That a potential client for the dockyard area would not locate there because of poor broadband speeds. That digital companies offering jobs to people to work from home were looking for a screen shots of broadband speeds before they would consider applicants. Cobh’s pitiful third world speeds in these instances were prohibiting employment opportunities depriving Cobh urban residents of jobs. That students had difficulties completing their University projects without the use of decent broadband. That medical information that people need to access from home cannot be dowloaded. The list went on and on….

Sean Sherlock TD expressed doubt about the government having any real plan. He undertook to speak to Richard Bruton, on Cobh’s behalf and to initiate discussions with both Eir and Siro who both held the infrastructural key to delivering product to Cobh. The group told him they believed that this was a fully political decision that had left Cobh behind, that was impeding business and depriving the residents of the town with was was deemed to be a basic ciivil right, access to decent broadband.

If you would like to assist and/provide instance of your experience please send them badbroadbandcobh@gmail.com and get on to to Eir, ESB, local and national politicians too !
The Cobh group expressed the suspicion that recent articles in the Irish times highlighting poor uptake of broadband in rural areas indicated a deliberate attempt by government to find reasons not to proceed with the roll out. 
Cobh Broadband Action Group

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending Locally