2. Broadband

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Good news, at last, about broadband. There has been a quantum leap in broadband uptake this year, with the number of subscribers reaching 410,000 by mid-September.

Broadband. Source: ComReg

On a quarterly basis, there were a total of 372,000 subscribers in the second quarter of 2006 – more than double the number in the equivalent period of last year. Competition is strong, with some 63 providers chasing new customers and offering 340 different packages.

New broadband subscriptions are running at the rate of 17,000 a month and the latest numbers are ahead of government targets. But Minister Noel Dempsey and his officials shouldn’t crack open the champagne just yet. Consumers and businesses in some parts of the country still cannot access affordable broadband.

Given the gains this year, the next international comparison should show a marked improvement in Ireland’s performance. In the last OECD survey of broadband subscribers, Ireland ranked in the bottom quarter of the league table of 30 countries.

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