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Peninsula excluded from
major telecoms hub
23.07.08
‘Project Kelvin’ to
bypass Buncrana and Carndonagh
Story: Inishowen Independent
PROJECT Kelvin, the €43 million cross-border
telecommunications project announced last week, will
not link to the high speed Metropolitan Area
Networks (MANs) in Buncrana and Carndonagh.
Project Kelvin, which will be implemented between
2009-11, will procure direct international
telecommunications between North America, Europe and
the North West. A ‘telehouse’ will be located in
Derry and will provide direct access to the
Letterkenny and Monaghan MANs.
The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural
Resources yesterday confirmed that the telehouse at
the centre of Project Kelvin will not link to
Buncrana or Carndonagh and there are “no proposals”
to develop such a link.
“It’s very disappointing to find that our MAN isn’t
going to be linked to this,” said Buncrana Mayor
Dermot McLaughlin. “Top quality telecommunications
networks are essential to Buncrana and Inishowen and
that we’re not hooked up to this means we’re behind
Derry and Letterkenny.
“It’s essential that Buncrana and Inishowen can
operate on a level playing field,” Cllr McLaughlin
continued. “Such services are absolutely vital to
the local economy, especially with the times that
are in it and the difficulties facing other
sectors.”
Metropolitan Area Networks deliver broadband
Internet access of unlimited speeds over fibre optic
cables and are primarily used by large, technology
dependent businesses. The MAN cabling has been in
the ground in Carn and Buncrana for more than 18
months and limited service for large-scale users is
available through a company called Magnum Opus.
Services for smaller business users have not yet
commenced. |
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“We have major IT
expansion plans in the near future we need to have
the very best communications infrastructure in place
before we can give the go ahead,” said Francis
Callaghan of Digitalfone 02. “The fact that Buncrana
and Carndonagh will not be connected to Project
Kelvin means that if we want to pursue our expansion
plans any further, and in turn bring badly need
employment to the Inishowen area, then we will have
to look at some other region |
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that has a proper IT
infrastructure in place.” Mr Callaghan called on
local politicians to pull together to ensure that
Inishowen is included in Project Kelvin.
Cllr McLaughlin said that he would raise the issue
at tomorrow (Wednesday) night’s Buncrana Town
Council meeting. |
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