Working it: You want broadband where?

Fast, convenient, always on internet access – there’s nothing like it.

Seriously… if you live or work in rural Ireland there’s literally nothing like it. Down here in West Cork the availability of broadband is patchy at best. Although I live within a stones throw of three major West Cork towns (Clanakilty, Skibbereen and Dunmanway are all between 10 and 15 miles away), and only a mile off the main N71 route, fast, always on internet access remains little more than a pipe-dream.

I’ve spoken to an array of operators,  and it’s always the same old story – “it’s coming soon”… and has been for the last four years!

I’ve tried everything: ADSL (broadband through the phone line), but the local exchange hasn’t been enabled by eircom yet, and apparently I’m just out of range anyway; fixed wireless is available in the area, but it seems I’m in one of the many “blackspots” that litter West Cork; and finally mobile broadband, I’ve tried offerings from both O2 and Vodafone now, both of which work brilliantly if I hop in the car and drive into town, but slow to a veritable crawl when I’m in the home office… so no luck.

The only other option is satellite – but that’s not really broadband. It’s only one way, for a start, and you still have to be connected via a dial-up connection at the same time – which means paying for internet access twice.

Until recently not having broadband has been a frustrating, but manageable inconvenience. This year, however, it’s really starting to affect my ability to work effectively. I can’t help wondering how many other people and small businesses out there are really feeling the pinch of what still seems to be an incredibly lacklustre broadband roll-out for rural Ireland.

The internet has become an indispensable business and learning tool, both for accessing information and as a potential route to an enormous international market for Irish products and services. While it’s true that we have more choice than ever before in terms of broadband service providers, and more competitive prices, availability of access in rural areas remains very patchy.

Lack of broadband availability in rural areas is still hindering the participation of a large chunk of Ireland’s SME community in the global e-business revolution. Providing a universal broadband solution for all of Ireland’s homes and businesses may well be technically challenging, but it’s a challenge that, as a nation, we urgently need to rise to.

If the government is serious in its commitment to make Ireland a significant and competitive player in the global knowledge economy, it’s time for it to put its money where its mouth is and prioritise broadband roll-out to rural areas.

By leaving rural businesses and communities stuck in the Internet doldrums, we’re failing to tap in to the massive pool of talent, experience, ideas and innovation that exists outside of our major towns and cities. That’s hurting rural economies, hurting local businesses and jobs, and, perhaps most significantly of all, holding back Ireland’s transition into a truly competitive knowledge-based economy.

Technorati Tags: broadband, Ireland, rural internet access