Many areas of Newry and Mourne still do not have adequate broadband and a project is being discussed to address the issue of poor broadband especially in rural areas.

Firstly, what is adequate broadband? Well, it deoends who you speak to but as a guide anything less than 2 meg is not good. So how do you know what speed you are getting? Have a look at this Broadband Speed Test checker - if your download speed is less than 2 meg then your broadband is poor.

The project to address poor broadband is part funded by the Department of Enterprise trade and Investment (DETI) and is being implemented by North West Electronics. The project will utilise wireless WIMAX broadband technology. What does this mean for you? Simply put, it means fast and reliable broadband that does not require a telephone line.

So, if your broadband is slow and you have checked the speed with the speed checker the best thing to do is to get in touch with your local councillor with your name, postcode and the speed of your broadband as indicated by the speed checker.

They will take that information back to the Council who will relay it back to North West Electronics. Why is that important? The areas that are indentified as having a demand for the wireless technology are more likely to be addressed first! So, its first come first served -  so tell your friends!

If you have a specific interest and want to know more just get in touch with Emerald-Valley.