New initiative will help local Sports Clubs

Date: 30/09/2010
Posted by: Darragh

NEW INITIATIVE WILL HELP LOCAL SPORTS CLUBS AND INCREASE BROADBAND PENETRATION IN NORTH DUBLIN

I welcome a new telecoms partnership between Shared Access, a leading US telecoms infrastructure provider, and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).

Under this partnership Shared Access will provide funding for floodlights to local clubs in North Dublin and around the country in return for the ability to erect telecoms structures. The initiative has a minimum investment by Shared Access of €30 million and will result in world class shared telecoms resources located in urban and rural areas.

This deal has been facilitated by the FAI and will see Shared Access pay for and erect floodlights for local football clubs. These lights will house state-of-the-art wireless antennas and where available fibre connections. This will significantly enhance broadband penetration and mobile phone coverage in the areas taking part.

400 local clubs around the country have applied for the scheme. Clubs in Dublin North have also submitted applications including: Swords Celtic FC; Skerries Town FC; Balrothery Football Club; Glebe North Football Club; Ashbourne United FC; Athletic Union League; Balbriggan Football Club.

Under this partnership sites will be made available to all telecoms operators in Ireland to provide advanced mobile and broadband services. This will be really important in ensuring not just that there is access but also competition among service providers in the mobile phone and broadband sectors.

Broadband provision is central to the national economic recovery but is also hugely important for the local economy and employment prospects in North Dublin. The potential benefits of this initiative cannot be underestimated in terms of telecommunications but also for the local clubs themselves which will benefit greatly from the floodlighting structures.