19/12/2008

Rural Broadband Given A Boost

A substantial investment is set to improve broadband services in rural areas across Northern Ireland.

The first two companies to be awarded financial assistance from the £1.9million Broadband Fund were announced in late December as North West Electronics and the Avanti Communications Group.

The Broadband Fund, which is co-financed under the European Regional Development Fund Sustainable Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013, offers practical financial support to organisations undertaking broadband technology trials in Northern Ireland.

The Fund aims to support trials which demonstrate how a range of technologies can be used to deliver next generation broadband services; and deploying 'in-fill' broadband solutions into a number of priority rural areas in Northern Ireland where distance from the nearest telephone exchange prevents a line-based broadband service.

North West Electronics, based in Londonderry, specialises in the delivery of fixed wireless broadband access services.

By extending its existing network in the north-west, it will offer a significant range of commercial broadband services to business and residential customers in some of the most rural parts of the west of Northern Ireland.

(BMcC/KMcA)

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