Broadly speaking - our web speeds are not good enough!

Well, there’s now a way to find out if you’re right. - Just visit the DETI website at www.detini.gov.uk. and click on ‘The Provision of a 2 Megabit per second Broadband Service across Northern Ireland’ in the DETI news releases section.

The DETI Telecoms Action Plan 2011-15 proposed that it would ‘ensure the continuing provision of access to a broadband service in Northern Ireland, regardless of where you live or do business.’

And, the UK Government has proposed that virtually all premises across Northern Ireland should be able to access a broadband service with a speed of at least 2 Megabits per second (Mbps) by 2015 and to provide superfast broadband to at least 90% of premises with speeds in excess of 24 Mbps.

DETI is considering those homes and businesses in Northern Ireland, particularly those in rural areas such as North Antrim, where the choice of broadband provision is limited and/or the available speeds are less than 2 Mbps.

They have published a document that identifies areas where choice is limited and/or the available speeds are less than 2 Mbps and at their monthly meeting, last Monday night, Ballymena councillors were presented with a list of over 300 Ballymena postcodes IDed in that way by DETI.

Councillors have been concerned for some time about poor broadband speed in rural areas locally and at last week’s meeting were pleased to hear from their Chief Executive, Anne Donaghy, that the process being undertaken by DETI “will help to raise the issue of our needs in terms of Broadband in the Ballymena area”.

Mrs Donaghy told councillors she was involved in drafting a paper on the lack of broadband speed and availability in the borough which she pointed out could be used by Council to lobby at ministerial level for increased investment in Broadband locally.

In the meantime, she told the meeting: “The big message is to get people to respond (to the DETI telecoms action plan via the Department’s website)”.

Simply log on and click on ‘postcode list’ to check if your area has been identified by DETI as having a speed less than 2Mbps

If you are unable to locate your postcode and believe you are unable to receive a service of 2 Mbps, then you can complete an online ‘Response Form’. However this must be done by the deadline of this Friday, October 12.