Donegal North East Fianna Fáil Deputy Charlie McConalogue is to hold a public meeting for local business owners in Buncrana and Carndonagh who are in need of better broadband and telecoms services.
Deputy McConalogue has said the aim is to encourage the use of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN) which were installed in both towns a number of years ago but have not as yet been used.
Deputy McConalogue said: “The Metropolitan Area Network Programme was an initiative delivered under the National Development Plan 2000-2006 aimed at delivering high speed telecommunications to a number of towns across the country.
“The MAN in Letterkenny has been very successful, with many businesses using the network to access high speed broadband services. But despite this, neither the Buncrana or Carndonagh MAN’s have been used for the purpose of providing improved broadband services to existing or new businesses.
“Having made enquiries into this, I have been informed that the availability of a number of businesses expressing an interest is an important factor in attracting telecom providers to provide a service through the MAN. It is also a factor in the cost of any service to local businesses.
“Although the likely cost of the service would be more than for the standard services provided through Eircom lines or wirelessly, I feel there could be a number of businesses for whom using the service could be economically viable. I am therefore aiming to establish if there is a demand in Buncrana and Carndonagh that would lead to a telecom company taking an interest in using it to provide a high quality broadband service locally.”
He added: “Having recently met with e|net, the company for MAN’s throughout the country, I am now organising a public meeting for local businesses and other potential users from Buncrana and Carndonagh. The meeting will take place on Monday 26th September 2011 at 6pm in the Lake of Shadows Hotel, Buncrana. I have invited Niall Beirne of e|net to attend this meeting and he will be in a position to advise interested parties on how it is possible to move closer to having the MAN infrastructure in both towns connected in order to provide better broadband services.”
Anyone interested in finding out more can contact the TD on 074 9373131 or charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie.
Tags: