North Leitrim village is not in the State broadband intervention area
Correspondence from the office of Minister of State Ossian Smyth has confirmed that the village of Drumkeerin is not in a State broadband intervention area.
Cllr Mary Bohan has highlighted the poor levels of broadband in the North Leitrim village on a number of occasions and had sought an explanation for why a large portion of the village has no access to high-speed broadband.
Previously Cllr Bohan has said that the situation in Drumkeerin is “ludicrous”.
“It is ludicrous what's happening. We are supposed to have high-speed broadband in Drumkeerin and when (the installation) was finished we discovered there wasn't high-speed broadband in the village at all, it was on the outskirts,” she said.
She has sought answers from National Broadband Ireland, the company tasked with building, operating and maintaining the new high-speed broadband network for areas in Ireland requiring State intervention.
A letter from the office of the Minister of State who has special responsibility for Communications and the Circular Economy, has said that “Drumkeerin village is located in a BLUE area according to the high-speed Broadband Map, available at www.broadband.gov.ie.
“BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high-speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so.”
The letter went on to note that “Under State aid rules, the department is not permitted to displace commercial investment by intervening in areas where commercial investment exists or is planned, as to do so would be an infringement of these State Aid Rules.
“The activities of commercial operators delivering high-speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and the department has not statutory authority to intervene in that regard.”
The letter suggested that complaints about service provision areas be dealt with between the consumer and the service provider.
It was noted that if this does not provide a satisfactory resolution then the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further.
ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to ensure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.
Informed of the contents of the correspondence at this week's Manorhamilton MD meeting, Cllr Mary Bohan said that she would have to look more closely at the response.
Speaking to the Leitrim Observer after the meeting she pointed out “I've asked a number of times for an explanation as to why we have a fibre cable running through the village and yet most of the village and the enterprise units cannot connect into it.”
Cllr Bohan noted that just 100m down from the village's enterprise units high speed broadband is available, but this isn't available at the enterprise units, where it is needed.
“The answer in that letter about 'BLUE' areas, what kind of answer is that? We need answers,” she said.