The much-vaunted, and often controversial National Broadband Plan is finally going ahead, after the Government signed off on its hefty €3bn price tag.
The plan will in theory enable access to broadband services for up to 1.1m people living in rural or remote areas.
The scheme has generated its fair share of controversy, after all but one of the original bidders pulled out of the tendering process. The affair culminated with the resignation of the then Minister for Communications Denis Naughten, who was found out to have attended meetings with the boss of the one remaining bidder.