High-speed broadband available in more Clare locations by end of year

EVERY home and business in Clare must have access to high-speed, fibre-optic broadband, a Government TD has said.
Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey said that continued improvements and investment in the fibre broadband network in County Clare is a must if the county is to position itself to benefit from continued foreign direct investment and the domestic tech industry.
The national Eircom fibre network plan aims to reach 300,000 premises during the current phase and one million by the end of 2014. Several new locations in County Clare have recently been added to the current and next phase of the scheme by provider Eircom.
“It is absolutely vital that where possible, every home and business in County Clare is able to avail of high speed fibre networks. This is not just essential for businesses but for many being able to conduct personal finance and many other transactions online is a necessity. We cannot be left behind as the world moves forward and for many companies, especially those in the tech sector, looking to invest in Ireland, a reliable, high-speed fibre network is essential.
Eircom added eight locations in County Clare to their fibre rollout plan, including Ballyalla Cross, Ballymachill Cross, Clarecastle, Rockmount, Shannon Airport and Whitepark. 
Last month, Ennis and Shannon Town were included in Phase IV of the fibre rollout plan.
“What this means in practice is that this new fibre network will provide broadband speeds of up to 70Mb by later this year. For those areas in County Clare not included, we will continue to press their case and ensure that high-speed broadband is made available as soon as is possible,” Deputy Carey concluded.