A broadband service that ‘comes from space’ has been launched in Ireland. The ‘new-generation Tooway™’ broadband services are now available across Europe and the Mediterranean Basin. The company that owns Tooway is Eutelsat Communications which also owns the KA-SAT high throughput satellite – all the way up there in space.
Combining satellite and on-ground infrastructure, Tooway can beam down high speed broadband to every area of Ireland, even the most difficult to reach places like Drumlish in Longford and the valleys of Wicklow.
Europe’s broadband map* shows that at least 13 million households are still beyond range of even low speed broadband (ADSL), and 17 million access the Internet at speeds below 2 Mbps, which closes the door to many media-rich applications that users today should be able to enjoy.
“The entry into service of KA-SAT, the world’s most powerful spot beam satellite, turns a new page in affordable and immediately available IP solutions, and places Europe at the forefront of high-capacity satellite technologies that can serve to quickly close the broadband gap,” says Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO.
Tooway can deliver speeds of up to 10 Mbps downstream and 4 Mbps upstream. Customers require a satellite dish (77 cm) and a modem.
Tooway will be resold in Ireland by Onwave and Digiweb. One of the ten ground network gateways to be installed across Europe is located in the National Space Centre in Cork, representing an inward investment of nearly €7 million.
Monthly costs for the service have yet to be confirmed but Tooway did say the service would cost from €1 per day. More information on the distributor network is available on www.tooway.com.

* European Union member states, Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia.

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