Broadband Company Digiweb selected today by Department of Education to provide three-year broadband access to 1,428 schools nationwide
Digiweb, Ireland’s widest reaching broadband services provider, has today been selected to provide broadband access to Primary and Second–Level schools throughout the country, using its Fixed Wireless Broadband and Satellite Broadband technologies. The award was made by the Department of Education and Science in conjunction with the Department of Communications Marine and Natural resources, following an extensive tendering process.
The three-year contract will require the company to connect schools across the country with a high speed internet connection, enabling the schools to access central data services and the internet quickly and safely.
This programme is funded through the Schools Broadband Fund, an initiative jointly undertaken with the telecommunications industry on foot of the establishment of a three year, €18 million joint Government / IBEC-TIF fund.  Digiweb along with a number of the other national service providers are contributors to this initiative.
Of the approximately 4,000 schools to be connected, Digiweb has been awarded the largest contract with 1,428; and the other successful providers being Smart Telecom (1,041 schools), Irish Broadband (592 schools), ESAT BT (585 schools), Last Mile (215 schools) and HS Data (87 schools).
“Following on our successful broadband services to Irish schools over recent years, we’re delighted to have been awarded this contract”, stated Colm Piercy, Managing Director. “It’s also refreshing and most welcome to see the Government award a contract of this scale and relevance across a number of experienced indigenous Irish providers –this hopefully signals the start of a new trend which will continue throughout 2005 and beyond”.
Digiweb’s growth and achievements over the last year have been noted nationally, being awarded the National Enterprise Award 2004 in October, and awarded a Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Rising Star Award in November.  The company currently employs 45 technical and administrative staff in its offices in Dundalk, Waterford and Cork, and is recruiting at present.
Digiweb has the widest broadband reach in Ireland, using Fixed Wireless, Satellite, and DSL technology to deliver fast internet access into every corner of the island – effectively a “one-stop broadband shop”, reaching businesses and homes which the national operators do not service. Over the past year ComReg has awarded the company the largest number of Fixed Wireless Access Licences of any Irish provider, covering most of the country.  Digiweb has also been very active in rolling out broadband to both rural communities and urban areas in conjunction with Councils and community groups.  Digiweb’s wireless broadband network is the most extensive in Ireland, and continuing to grow rapidly.  Digiweb is a member of the WiMAX forum – an industry body led by Intel and other leading manufacturers, which is seeking to agree a follow-on industry standard to supersede the common “WiFi” wireless access technologies, with extended reach and capacity.  Digiweb is also the largest Satellite Broadband service provider in Ireland, servicing clients in Ireland, UK, France, Germany, Austria and Italy.