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Black Valley ready to receive Musk satellite Internet

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By Sean Moriarty

 

Installation of Elon Musk's Starlink Internet service in the Black Valley could begin as early as next week, and the project could be operational within a month, the Killarney Advertiser has learned. Starlink is SpaceX’s plan to build an interconnected Internet network with thousands of satellites, designed to deliver high-speed Internet to anywhere on the planet.

The network is an ambitious endeavour, which SpaceX has said will cost about $10 billion or more to build.

In February, the Killarney Advertiser reported that The Black Valley – one of the last places in Ireland to get electricity and telephone connections – could be one of the first in the world to get a satellite based broadband Internet connection – thanks to interest from the Tesla electric car founder and tech-billionaire Musk.

Since the initial report, Kerry County Council has been working behind the scenes to bring this ambitious project to a reality.

The project has been pushed by Mayor of Kerry, Patrick Connor-Scarteen. The Black Valley is situated in his elected municipal district area.

A team, led by Killarney man Brian Looney, the Council’s head of IT, has been meeting with various stakeholders.

These include online meetings with a Community Group in the valley and with telecom providers like EIR and the ESB.

Council officials have also conducted an “on-the-ground assessment of telecommunications information” with locals and providers to assess a suitable location for the satellite receiving equipment.

A pilot scheme to connect the service to a number of properties is close to being signed off, the Killarney Advertiser understands. It is hoped that existing infrastructure owned by EIR and ESB can be used to achieve this.

“We expect delivery of the initial kit to commence in the next week and it is hoped to start providing a service shortly afterwards,” a Kerry County Council official told a recent online meeting of elected representatives from the Kenmare Municipal District.

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Contactless payments launched on Local Link services

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Passengers using TFI Local Link Kerry services in Killarney and across the county can now pay for their journeys using contactless card payments.

The National Transport Authority (NTA) confirmed the rollout this week, allowing commuters to simply tap their debit card, credit card, or mobile devices, such as Apple Pay and Google Pa, when boarding.

The move is designed to offer more convenience for those using high-frequency rural and regional routes.

In Killarney, the new payment option will be available on the TFI Anseo town services, which have seen a significant increase in passenger numbers since their introduction.

The contactless system is currently available for single journey fares, while those using daily or weekly passes can continue to use the Leap website or the TFI Leap Top Up App.
Alan O’Connell, General Manager of TFI Local Link Kerry, welcomed the modernisation of the fleet.

“The introduction of contactless payments is another welcome step forward for public transport in Kerry,” he said. “It complements other major projects in the county, including the expansion of TFI Local Link services and the delivery of TFI Anseo in Killarney, which is proving to be another great initiative.”

While the new technology offers a modern alternative, traditional payment methods are not being phased out. Cash payments, TFI Leap cards, and Free Travel Cards all remains fully valid across the network.

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How will our Kerry TDs vote tomorrow?

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Tomorrow, Sinn Féin will be tabling a motion of no confidence against the Government after the protests that took place nationwide during the week.

Earlier today we asked our readers how would they vote in a no confidence motion against the Government?

Most of our readers said they would vote no confidence, while some said, yes they do have confidence in the Government.

One reader said: “Vote confidence. The only proper leadership over the last few days came from government. Courage came when needed despite how unpopular it looked in the moment. By contrast, opposition politicians wanted the country to burn to suit themselves”.

Another reader stated: “No confidence. Shambolic and heavy handed handling of protests this past week”.

However, some people didn’t have any confidence in either side with a reader saying: “No confidence in the no confidence! Different wings of the same bird! We need a complete overhaul of the political system”.

We asked the question to our 5 Kerry TDs before lunch-time today, asking them what their vote will be tomorrow.

We received one reply from Sinn Féin’s Kerry TD Pa Daly.

He will be voting no confidence in the Government tomorrow along with his party.

Other media outlets are reporting that Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae is undecided at the moment.

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