Vodafone pledge to consider Ross for Broadband plan.

FF Councillor Michael Sheehan has welcomed the agreement with representatives of  Vodafone to review the issue about the inclusion of New Ross on the 2015 Broadband Initiative.

After meeting representative from Vodafone in Dublin I outlined my concerns at the omission of New Ross in the initial list of fifty towns for high speed broadban, which is being rolled out in the New Year.

 The argument for New Ross being excluded is pretty thin—we are the same size population as Enniscorthy, relatively same numbers in terms of job seekers, third level entry, business numbers and broadband requirements; yet Enniscorthy Town and parts of Wexford were included.

I made the case that failure to be included would put New Ross at a competitive disadvantage in finding investment for employment, expansion for industry, access for education and innovation plus  further compounding the area to be a feeder area for Waterford and the hinterland.  While sympathetic to the case for New Ross, Mr. Gary Healy from Vodafone outlined how the list was selected and where there is possible scope for New Ross and the Broadband Initiative.

He agreed to review their information and the case for New Ross to ensure that nothing was overlooked and see if there was a case for inclusion in the first phase on commercial grounds as the crews are in the area anyway. If this isn’t possible, then he agreed to ensure New Ross would be in the running should one of the current candidate towns be deferred or a Phase II in 2016.

“I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to discuss this issue with Vodafone: it was in the end, a political choice where the government failed to include New Ross as there’s no TD here. To compound the case, Wexford TD Mick Wallace was as lathair on the day the ESB and Vodafone appeared before the Communications Committee.

Furthermore, Mr Healy would accept an invitation to New Ross to meet the Council and discuss options for New Ross to make sure it doesn’t get left behind again.

 I intend to raise this issue at the next meeting of the Council as it is vital New Ross has a proper infrastructure if we are to secure employment in the area.

Michael Sheehan, MCC

(085) 1349020