Pure Telecom today claimed a 300pc increase in satellite broadband subscriptions with high demand from rural businesses unable to avail of DSL and wireless broadband services.
While the company would not comment on actual numbers, a spokesperson said: “There was a surge in enquiries over the past month, with five satellite broadband enquiries per day for every other broadband enquiry. They attribute this to greater education and awareness about broadband and the fact that rural businesses don’t want to be left behind. Their new promotion of interest-free credit for a year is targeted at businesses that are probably already paying hefty monthly dial-up charges.”
Pure Telecom’s Broadband Anywhere service offers high-speed internet access nationally through all three major broadband technologies, DSL, wireless and satellite, giving what it claims is one of the largest broadband footprints of any telecommunications provider in Ireland.
The company’s satellite service is available nationwide. An installation charge of €349 (ex Vat) applies on all satellite packages while equipment charges vary from €799 to €895 (ex Vat), depending on download and upload speeds as well as the number of fixed internet protocol addresses required
Paul Connell, director of Pure Telecom, explained: “We are not surprised by the increase in uptake of our satellite service, given that it breaks down the restrictions encountered by rural businesses when it comes to broadband access. We don’t believe any organisation should be at a disadvantage due to their location and have connected lots of businesses who thought high-speed access was a distant aspiration.
“Pure is addressing market demand and potentially accelerating government initiatives to increase the speed of broadband internet rollout within Ireland. Our promotion is specifically addressing a general perception that broadband delivered over satellite is too expensive due to the initial up-front costs,” Connell said.
A recent EU survey ranked Ireland 19th out of 25 countries surveyed for broadband take-up. Another study, conducted by the OECD placed Ireland in 24th position out of 27 for broadband penetration.
By John Kennedy
