IBEC - Newsroom

The Telecommunications and Internet Federation (TIF), the IBEC group that represents Irish telecoms providers, today welcomed the publication of the Government’s 'Infrastructure Investment Priorities 2010-2016', and particularly the commitment to high-speed universal broadband provision.

TIF Director Tommy McCabe, said: "The Government’s commitment to ensuring universal broadband access through the National Broadband Scheme, along with the Rural Broadband Scheme, complements the significant investment that is being made by private industry in broadband provision.

"The Government's commitment to ongoing engagement with industry and the regulator, to ensure the necessary conditions for investment in next generation networks (NGNs) are created, is welcome.

TIF believes, as outlined in our recent report ‘Building a Next Generation Access network for Ireland’, that clear guidance on spectrum allocation, incorporating reasonable spectrum fees, the reduction in civil costs as well as clarity and consistency in regulation are required for  the roll-out of a next generation network that will serve the majority of homes and businesses in Ireland.

“The telecoms industry contributes €4bn to the Irish economy and employs over 15,000 people. This does not include the number of other ICT and non-ICT industries that rely on a modern telecoms infrastructure to survive. This infrastructure is central to the development of an enterprise-driven environment that fosters innovation and job creation,” concluded Mr McCabe.