Client News > Release

18-03-2010

e|net Welcomes Legislation Granting Access To Telecoms Ducting Along Country’s Motorways

e|net, Ireland’s largest open access network operator and the company responsible for managing the State’s fibre-optic Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs), has welcomed the passage of new legislation which gives the National Roads Authority (NRA) the power to grant telecoms companies access to ducting running along the country’s motorways and other primary roads.

Responding to the legislation change, e|net CEO, Conal Henry said, “The new legislation offers a series of practical advantages but crucially it will increase the potential to provide backhaul connectivity for some of the smaller MAN towns where competitive backhaul does not exist. Additionally, it will avoid costly duplication of road openings by multiple telecom operators”.

Mr. Henry added, “This is a very welcome development and Minister Eamon Ryan is to be warmly commended for pushing this vital infrastructural reform through”.

He said this move would also be a key factor in facilitating the proposed one-stop-shop promised by Minister Ryan whereby all State-owned ducting and fibre (running under motorways and along rail, gas and electricity networks, for example) would be administered by a single State entity, thereby streamlining access by telecoms companies to accelerate the roll-out of broadband services.

The recently passed legislation is an amendment to the Communications (Regulation) Act 2002 enabling the NRA to provide a formal framework to make ducts on national roads and motorways accessible to telecommunications companies

-ENDS-