Esat Business yesterday announced the availability of GigaNet, its new broadband service which will offer direct high speed access to regions outside Dublin.

The company said it had invested more than €200 million (£157.4 million) upgrading its existing network for the service, which would allow users to get more wavelength from the same fibre.

GigaNet was the first national broadband service in Europe to offer access at the same rates regardless of location, the company said. Up until now, the cost of leasing a line to an international telehouse has been distance-related. As the international telehouses bringing broadband connectivity to Ireland are in Dublin, data centres and software companies have set up in Dublin to avail of these services at the cheapest rates.

Esat Business said the real benefit of its infrastructural investment in GigaNet was the regional access it provided. GigaNet would enable data centres with high data capacity needed to set up outside Dublin and would ensure data centres in regional areas were no longer disadvantaged, Esat said.

"This is the first major step taken by an Irish telco to assist regional e-commerce growth being driven by the Government," said Mr Richard Cooke, chief executive of Esat Business. "From today, access to high capacity international bandwidth is available not only in Dublin but anywhere on the Esat national network at the same price."

Mr Sean Dorgan, chief executive of IDA Ireland, said the development was extremely important in rolling out the e-business capabilities across the country.

"Substantial progress has been achieved on the east coast in establishing world-class e-business investments, but regional locations are lagging, mainly because of price differentials and limited competition for service," he said.