Eircom is to make a €5m investment in its network in Northern Ireland as the telecoms firm looks to develop its business in the area.

The investment will see Eircom establish a network operations centre in Belfast, employing 15 people in roles such as network engineers, project managers, and qualified service professionals. Work on Eircom's core network around Northern Ireland started in 2006 and this will be completed later this year.

News of the new positions comes on the back of a good month for the province on the jobs front. In June, Fujitsu announced it was creating 400 new jobs in Derry and Belfast, while US financial software firm Wombat announced 77 new jobs in Belfast in the same month.

Eircom said its investment will provide a strong foundation for the telecoms firm to develop and offer increased services to public sector and business customers. The company is planning to make further investments in a move to increase its presence in the Northern Irish market.

"Today's investment announcement demonstrates Eircom's commitment to establishing a significant presence in Northern Ireland," Eircom chairman Pierre Danon said.

"Not only will this investment introduce more competition and bring new jobs to the telecommunications sector in Northern Ireland, it also means we can increase our ability to offer a full range of integrated solutions and services to customers in the business and public sector markets. We look forward to growing and developing the telecommunications market in this key market for Eircom," said Danon.

The investment was welcomed by the Northern Irish Economy Minister Nigel Dodds. "This is an important announcement by Eircom, not only because it is investing in its network and services but because it will bring more competition and choice to businesses and consumers across many areas of Northern Ireland," said Minister Dodds.

He said the investment would play a key role in helping firms in the region develop their businesses and become more competitive. "Access to world class telecommunications infrastructure, such as that being provided by Eircom, is crucial for all Northern Ireland companies if they are to improve their competitiveness and increase growth," he concluded.

© 2007 ENN

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