Published: Wednesday, 13th January, 2010 5:30pm

Broadband complaints continue in Monksland

by Deirdre Verney

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Eircom has come in for criticism again this week in the Monksland area after it admitted that some customers still cannot access broadband, despite the fact the new exchange in the area was enabled prior to Christmas.

Some customers whose telephone lines are connected to the Monksland exchange are able to connect to broadband services, the phone company said this week in a statement to the Westmeath Independent but a number of customers whose lines are currently connected to the Athlone exchange need to be cutover to the Monksland exchange. Work has commenced on this process but no time frame was given at this time for how long it will take. The reason the firm is moving these customers is to reduce the distance the signal has to travel, thereby increasing the chances that these people will be able to get broadband.

However, Cllr Paddy Kilduff said "inadequate broadband facilities" in the greater Monksland region had been an issue for months now and it's time the service was up and running properly.

"Eircom stressed the facility would come on stream before Christmas and that works were ongoing to ensure full connectivity. Indeed statements were issued to the press just before Christmas claiming that the service was now fully operational. It has however been brought to my attention that this is not the case."

He pointed out that a number of Monksland residents have complained to me that the service is still not up and running properly and that broadband is currently not available to them and that they are unaware of when it will be.

"I do not know the circumstances of the delay and I do not doubt that making this service available to such a large community is a priority for Eircom. Perhaps the incessant weather conditions have hindered efforts to make the service fully available. In any event, I am calling on Eircom to make a statement and inform the people of Monksland when the new exchange will be fully operational and when they can expect to have proper broadband facilities available in the area," the Fianna Fáil Councillor concluded.