Groups unite to spring Eircom broadband into action

KILKISHEN Development Association, Kilmurry Community Association and the local branch of the IFA have come together to form an alliance to try to spring Eircom into action to enable the 367-telephone exchange for broadband.

Amid frustration at the lack of a fixed line broadband service in the area and the delay in their local exchange being enabled for this service, a public meeting has been organised for next Thursday in the clubhouse in Kilkishen at 9pm.
Chairman of Kilkishen Development Association, Mike Hogan said, “Our aim is to get broadband to the 367 area, which covers Kilkishen and Kilmurry and to get it back on Eircom’s priority list. We were promised it would be included in last year’s plan and it didn’t happen and so far, we haven’t been given a commitment on this.”
Mr Hogan stated that the reason the organisations have come together is to put some added pressure on Eircom and to ensure that the 367 exchange is firmly on Eircom’s agenda going forward.
“We have come together so that we can get the service upgraded and at least get it on the list for this year. By getting together, we’re hoping to work towards making that happen and emphasise getting broadband here. To have it would be a big asset to the communities and broadband in this day and age is vitally important. I have mobile broadband with 3 but with the line system, you can get a bundle where your phone and Internet bills are in one and this would suit most people and would mean there’s no separate bills. The mobile and private operators are not cheap. We had a local meeting with the IFA and group in Kilmurry and we are all anxious to get broadband in,” he stressed.
Following on from a statement issued by Eircom early last year that broadband would be rolled out in the Kilkishen/Kilmurry area by September 2009 and with no firm indications that it is on the 2010 agenda, the local groups have called a public meeting to discuss the issue. The meeting, which takes place at 9pm, aims to measure public interest in lobbying Eircom to add the Kilkishen exchange to their immediate upgrade plans and to try to put this pressing issue back on Eircom’s priority list.
Local councillors and public representatives will be invited to attend the meeting and anyone with a 367 phone number prefix that has an interest in getting fixed line broadband to their home/business are urged to attend this meeting.
For further information, contact Mike on 086 2314685, Dermot at 087 6022651 or Adrian at 086 6479564.
In a statement to The Clare Champion in relation to the exchange upgrade, an Eircom spokeswoman stated: “Our current timetable indicates that the Kilkishen exchange [which also covers 367 area in Killmurry] will be broadband-enabled by mid-2011”.
“Enabling an exchange involves multiple processes including network upgrades, installation of DSL equipment, possible systems upgrades and a testing phase. All of these phases must be co-ordinated and completed before an exchange is ready to be enabled. As a result, we cannot provide an exact date at this time. The network upgrade required to provide capacity for broadband to the area is quite complex and a large body of work and investment is required before the exchange can be broadband enabled,” she said.
Reacting to this statement, Mr Hogan said, “It’s disappointing for us that we have dropped down the priority list. You would think that with Kilmurry and Kilkishen so close to Shannon, Limerick and Ennis that we should be in there with a chance and that we would be high up on the priority list,” Mr Hogan concluded.
Meanwhile, Councillor Joe Cooney has highlighted that private Internet operator BBnet has extended its 12MB broadband service to residents in O’Callaghan’s Mills and Tulla, who have been without a general broadband service.
BBnet broadband, based in Shannon and specialising in providing broadband to rural areas, has announced that it now has coverage in O’Callaghan’s Mills/Tulla areas. Commenting on the new services, Councillor Cooney said, “I am delighted that BBnet is able to bring its super fast broadband services to O’Callaghan’s Mills/Tulla. For too long, rural areas have not been able to avail of fast, reliable broadband. BBnet is rectifying this by deploying our breakthrough MIMO services and enabling the rural areas leapfrog other areas in terms of broadband speed.”