What the broadband bypass means for Kinnegad

viking

An article by Denis Leonard from the Westmeath Examiner (24/01/04):

What the broadband bypass means for Kinnegad

Just before Christmas Minister Dermot Ahern announced a list of 80 towns that were to be included in the new broadband network across Ireland. As had happened with tax designation, the gas line, school upgrades, and industrial development once again Kinnegad was bypassed. When the NRA bypasses Kinnegad with the new road in 2007 the town will be used to the exercise.

In an article in the Examiner just before Christmas Westmeath TDs Willie Penrose and Donie Cassidy called on the minister to review his decision. Deputy Penrose described the decision as "baffling" considering its gateway status, and its proximity to the spatial town of Mullingar and the new decentralized Dept of Education. Deputy Cassidy said it made sense to have broadband in the thriving "gateway" town of Kinnegad and in Castlepollard as the largest town in north Westmeath. In recent weeks Cllr. Michael Dollard has also written to the Minister asking him to rescind his decision.

What makes the decision incomprehensible to Kinnegad people is the fact that a population of 1500 was the benchmark of inclusion in the government and Eircoms list. Kinnegad had a population of 1300 in the early 2002 census with hundreds of houses built since then. In fact, many feel it will reach 2000 very soon.

Last summer Gareth Pelly a Kinnegad resident launched a campaign called Broadband for Kinnegad. He modelled his efforts on campaigns by small towns all over England who had encouraged BT to include them on the broadband list. He has been lobbying Eircom to put Kinnegad on the broadband list and was originally told by them that if he could get them 100 subscribers they would consider it.

He has successfully built up a large interest and as his list grew towards the magical 100 they put it up to between 200 and 700 subscribers. This number seems quite a large percentage of Kinnegad’s population but one has to wonder with broadband winging its way to the West and Northwest through Kinnegad already, then the cost of including Kinnegad on the network could not be a significant outlay for Eircom. He notes that it is unfortunate that the large telecoms companies often sit back, often failing in their responsibility to deliver adequate internet access to Irish consumers.

As Gareth Pelly points out, aside from the wonderful advantage it is to businesses present and future, it is instrumental in attracting industry to the town. Local business man John Gildea pushed for broadband at a recent business meeting in Kinnegad outlying how essential it would be to Kinnegad’s future development. Business like recruitment agencies, estate agencies and any business that needs to transfer large amounts of data would strongly desire broadband to locate here.

Gareth Pelly remarks that home users would find it highly beneficial for downloading large files while keeping their phone line open. One of the biggest users of a new broadband network however would be Kinnegad’s hundreds of commuters who, like Gareth, do a three-hour round trip to Dublin every day, while they could just as easily work from home if the network was in place. This is not just a saving to the sanity of the overburdened N4 commuters but it is also a huge saving to the environment, and may even help Kinnegad’s parking problem.

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Gareth is also working with a wireless operator so that you don’t even need a phone line. While this has an installation cost it means the same monthly bill. He feels by having both in Kinnegad the consumer will have real choice and therefore value for money.

Gareth Pelly feels very strongly that this latest government list is not set in stone and that lobbying the Minister and Eircom is very much in Kinnegad’s interest. All details about joining the campaign can be found at broadband4kinnegad.com

In recent years Ennis became an information age town with nearly every home and school getting computers; it now seems incredible that in 2004 Kinnegad can’t even get the quality of internet connection which would make it competitive with other similar size towns.

The "bypass Kinnegad mentality" means that the many that moved to Kinnegad because they thought they would have piped gas now have calor tanks out the back of heir house. Now the many teleworkers who felt that, as a commuter town, broadband would limit their travelling also have to sit in three hours of traffic waiting for Kinnegad to be included on a list it should always have been on. At the moment while Éircom is moving the goalposts on how many subscribers it needs from the area, and while the government is using census figures nearly two years out of date, Kinnegad’s desire to get the infrastructure and, facilities that would truly make it a ‘gateway town’ has hit another hurdle.

Many thanks to Denis Leonard for the coverage.

viking

iwb

Well done Viking. You are persistent and I am sure it will pay off but hopefully, sooner rather than later. I also hope the good people of Kinnegad who will benefit greatly from your efforts appreciate what you are doing.

viking

Appreciate the kind words iwb.

I'm determined to achieve our campaign's goal.

Regards,

viking