 When it comes to broadband, Ireland has been left in the dark. In 1927, electricity lit up the towns and communities of Ireland, bringing power to the people and transforming their lives, their working practices and the nation's prospects. Now, the same infrastructure will be used to deliver powerful communications at the speed of light. Have you ever been disconnected while streaming your favourite TV show? Has your business conference call ever been disrupted, costing you time and money? These problems are the result of slow internet speeds. People connect to the internet in different ways. Some connections are dial-up, others are mobile, satellite or fibre. Some are slow, some are fast. Currently, fibre optic cable is the fastest way for the consumer to connect to the internet. At the moment, most fibre optic cables stop at the local hub or cabinet. From there, slower copper wires carry broadband connections into the building. Rolling out fibre optic cables is a slow and expensive process, particularly for this crucial last mile that brings fibre to the building. Ireland's National Broadband Plan of 2012 specifically promotes the use of state assets to accelerate work towards broadband speeds of 70 to 100 megabits per second to over half the population by 2015. In December 2013, the government announced legislation that would allow ESB to use its network of poles and cables to reach out to communities across Ireland. This would enable delivery of end-to-end, high-speed fibre optic broadband directly into over 450,000 buildings. But what does that mean for you? Local businesses and startups will have the potential to become global. School children and college students will be able to access the latest materials online in an instant. People will be able to access healthcare in the comfort of their own homes. They will be able to stream movies, play online games, download and share heavy data and stay connected no matter where they are. But what does it mean for Ireland? Fibre to the building will also bring benefits for the local and national economy, helping to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas, creating jobs and growth, fostering digital skills and ensuring that Ireland remains competitive in an increasingly innovative global economy. When implemented, this will represent a leap towards the government's broadband targets for 2015 and the EU's digital agenda targets for 2020. Faster broadband will empower people to take the next step towards a brighter digital future.