Broadband provider Digiweb has unveiled plans to invest €8.5m as part of its Metro-20 plan to extend the reach of its next-generation network across additional locations across Ireland as well as increasing its reach in Dublin and existing location.
The plan will effectively see 20 new locations added to the company’s network in 2006 with download speeds starting at 3Mbps and upload speeds of 512Kbps.
The move follows on the success of the company’s pilot projects in Dublin, Cork, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Dundalk.
The €8.5m investment will make Digiweb’s Metro broadband product available to more than 60pc of Ireland’s population by the end of this year.
Metro operates as a fusion of wireless and fixed-line broadband using the same technology used by cable operators to deliver high-speed communications services. Each Metro site covers an area equivalent to at least 80sq kms.
Commenting on the investment, Digiweb’s head of strategic services John Quinn said: “This investment shows Digiweb’s commitment to building one of the largest network’s in Ireland, with the greatest reach. The pilot launch of Metro in the six main cities has been a massive success for Digiweb and allows us to now expand our network to cover vast areas of Ireland.
“Once Metro-20 is completed and our wideband network rollout begins, it will also give us a critical mass of coverage and we will use this to launch new products and services that our competitors are going to find very difficult to match, in any respect for either voice of data services.”
Digiweb has also concluded the first round of evaluations for the rollout of Wideband Data services using their national 900MHz licence recently awarded by the Commission for Communications Regulation. Wideband data services will offer broadband equivalent speeds with voice over internet protocol and the benefit of true mobility with cell sizes of up to 70km.
By John Kennedy
