Minister, Pat the Cope Gallagher T.D., this evening in Milford launched the County and Group Broadband Scheme for North Central Donegal. The services are part of the County and Group Broadband Scheme, an initiative targeted at rural and low population areas that would be unlikely to get broadband services in the near term.
“North Central Donegal project is the largest single project under the County and Group Broadband Scheme being funded by the Department of Communications, Marin & Natural Resources. This reflects positively on the dedication and commitment of the Community Group “Broadband for the Hills”, who have worked tirelessly, alongside the service provider NWE Wireless Networks, to bring broadband to North Central Donegal,” said Pat the Cope.
Under this project Broadband will be made available to almost 20,000 people in 27 communities across North Central Donegal. Communities included are – Milford: Cranford, Ray, Ballyare; Fanad: Tamney, Rosnakill, Tri-a-lough, Portsalon; Downings: Atlantic Drive, Melmore; Falcarragh: Ray, Derryreel; Rathmullan: Glenvar; Kerrykeel: Oughterlin; Churchill: Glendowan, Derryveagh; Dunfanaghey: Horn Head, Creeslough, Port-na-blagh, Ards; Carraigart: Glen, Devlinreagh; Letterkenny: Glebe, Woodlands, Barnhill, Lougnagin; Kilmacrennan: Gartan, Illistrin, Termon.
The County & Group Broadband Scheme is designed to promote investment in broadband access infrastructure in these regions by contributing grant aid of up to 55% of the infrastructure costs. The County & Group Broadband Scheme is co-funded by the E-commerce and Communications Measures of the Boarder, Midlands and Western and Southern and Eastern Regional Operational Programmes of the National Development Plan 2000 – 2006.
Under the 2nd phase of the GBS, a total of 119 projects have been approved to date. So far, this represents an investment of €12.4 million in 445 communities covering a population of 355,000 people. In total, grant aid of €5 million has been approved to date.
“Milford will showcase the many opportunities that broadband can offer and no doubt the rest of the communities in this project will be eagerly awaiting the roll out of broadband in their areas over the coming weeks. Education, business and tourism are just some of the aspects of daily life which are now poised to exploit the wide variety of services and initiatives offered by modern communications technologies,” concluded Minister Gallagher.
Ends