Three are rolling out their HSDPA network which is being used by the Government as an integral part of the National Broadband Scheme. We recently had a letter popped through the letter box advising us that the NBS was now available in our area (Headford). Unfortunately, the scheme must   be transmitting from around about the same area as O2 because the coverage is much the same as the O2 signal and thus the people who can access broadband is still much the same as it was before Three arrived in the area.  However, if you can avail of it Three are offering a nice 15GB monthly download per month on a twelve month contract so this is a good deal. O2 take note.

Eircom have promised to upgrade the Headford exchange in the last quarter of this year so I guess many folks around here will have to wait for wired broadband before they can get on-line. Quite why this is taking till the end of the year perplexes me as I have been reliably informed the work in the Headford exchange was completed a considerable time ago and as one of many local businesses desperately in need of a reliable broadband connection (the O2 link I usually use being off-line at present) it is extremely frustrating.

This situation highlights the digital divide. Access to data communications is such a large differentiator today. Businesses with access to such technology can sell services and products to the massive market that the Internet represents. On top of this people who have modern data communications can reduce costs by using such techniques as Voice over IP (VOIP) or join two offices together by deploying virtual private networks allowing sharing of I.T. Infrastructure. Those without broadband find that even picking up an email with an attachment is a major exercise.

Living in rural Ireland has it's benefits but running businesses in such places is extremely difficult and this is indicated by the massive gap between the wealth in large cities and that of a rural community.

Given that Ireland has such a large rural community that could have benefited from a broadband roll-out it is quite staggering that the introduction of data communications in such places has progressed at such a slothful pace. Ensuring rural economies could take advantage of modern technology and thus lift the wealth of the whole community would have seemed such an obvious goal and one that would have helped not only the rural dwellers but also ensure Ireland's standing as a nice place to establish a technology business.

While business has to focus on the towns as they make money and meet shareholder expectations it is up to local and national Government to ensure the whole of the population has a fair crack of the whip in the shortest time and this they have dismally failed to do.