National Broadband Ireland Reneges on its Promise to Cobh

Cobh Broadband Action Group, formed over two years ago, has continually lobbied and monitored the development plans for effective broadband for our town. We have kept our community aware of the situation through meetings, briefings, media notices.

Last May we advised of the by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) to install broadband in Cobh between December 2020 and Feb 2021. This was great news for Cobh, a town that is very badly served, which is starved of industry and has townspeople who are denied home employment opportunities because of poor broadband service. During the period from May to November NBI’s website stated that Cobh would receive broadband during the December 2020 to Feb 2021 period – that’s just now!

However our hopes were shocked just a short few weeks ago when NBI without any warning changed their website to state that there was now no date for installation in Cobh and that the area was being surveyed. As members of CBAG had observed NBI surveyors in the area as early as September 2020 we took that as a positive indication that the plan was going according to schedule. How many months does it take to survey Cobh? – Less than one we would suggest. Amidst protests from CBAG recently NBI further updated their site with an indicative installation date of Dec 2021 to May 2022 – a push back of more than one year. CBAG brought these changes to the attention of and were supported by the local authority and councillors. We have also written to NBI requesting a reversion to the original plan and improved communication from the company. Regrettably NBI has not yet given the courtesy of a response to our letters. We despair at the level of communications commitment of companies in the communication busines.

It will help yourself, and Cobh, if concerned citizens, community groups and representatives at all levels write to NBI, expressing shock and concern, and demanding an earlier installation date. It’s also important to demand a response to your communication with NBI. How to contact NBI is on their website at www.nbi.ie . Working together as a united community is the way to combat this relegation of Cobh. This is our town, we must fight together to prevent further attacks on the service levels that hinder employment opportunities, access to education, medical services and more. So if you want Cobh to thrive now is the time for you to act, don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today.

CBAG Committee:
Bill Ramsell, Jim O’Meara, Denis Twomey, Dave Muldowney, Eoghan Allen
badbroadbandcobh@gmail.com