In recent days the Department for Economy (DfE) announced the launch of a £165 million broadband roll-out scheme, Project Stratum. The project funded from the confidence and supply agreement aims to improve connectivity for those unable to access broadband services of at least 30 megabits per second. 

DfE estimate that approximately just shy of 100,000 premises, primarily in rural areas are eligible for potential intervention as the project kicks off. 

People in Fermanagh have called for greater investment in broadband as rural areas in the county still remain affected by poor connectivity.

Kathleen Breen of Carrosyl Community Centre, Lisnaskea, remarked that poor Internet connection is still an issue for a lot of people, particularly in rural areas. “Around Newtownbutler and Roslea suffer quite a lot.” 

“We’re all reliant on the Internet these days, everything is moving online and particularly if you’re running tight to a deadline and the Internet lets you down it’s quite annoying to say the least. Bigger companies are moving to do everything online to make life more convenient, but if you don’t have cover then this isn’t much use. I would hope there would be some investment here.”

For those living outside towns and villages it is understood that choice of providers can be limited and this impacts service availability.

Ann McAdam, who lives close to the Fermanagh Monaghan border explained, “You could be in the middle of something and then the Internet just cuts off. I have grandchildren and when they are on the Internet, if we wanted to go on and check something we can’t. You can only really have one person on at a time. Mobile data works quicker here.” 

Permanent Secretary Noel Lavery, launching the procurement outlined that the additional funding will allow the Department to build on broadband connectivity achievements to date, adding that 108,000 premises benefited from recent interventions. He also acknowledged that there are some rural areas where broadband access remains “unsatisfactory”. 

He added, “All premises eligible for inclusion in Project Stratum will be published soon, however the precise number and location of those that will benefit from the project will not be known until the procurement project is complete and a contract has been awarded.”