The Government has launched a new consumer information website on broadband services. The site, which provides independent information on services and prices in local areas is aimed at small businesses and consumers.

Broadband is the delivery of high-speed internet services. It is seen as a vital key towards the development of the economy and competitiveness.

Consumers can log on to the Government website and by keying in their address, ascertain what broadband services are available locally and compare prices on offer. More than 800 localities are currently covered.

The website is also being used to try to gauge future demand. People can vote for broadband in their area, providing an indicator of present and future demand. Communications Minister Mr Dermot Ahern said he believed the website would help drive demand for the services.

Coincidentally Eircom also launched what it called a "broadband trigger programme" yesterday. It said this was designed to allow consumers to directly influence the roll-out of broadband in their towns.

Eircom said a trigger level represents the requisite number of customers needed to enable broadband in a particular area. The company said once this level was hit, then it would automatically be added to Eircom's broadband build programme which would take around six-nine months to install thereafter.

It also included a list of 131 towns which are already geared for broadband. (This also features a list of companies, aside from Eircom which provide broadband services.)

A spokesman for Minister Ahern said Eircom had not cooperated with the Government website venture, in particular not supplying details on what exchanges were broadband enabled. "It is regrettable, but that was Eircom's decision," he said.

He said that Department officials had garnered the information on Eircom's pricing and services independently and published it on the website. Welcoming the Eircom site he said the two would complement one another.

Last night Eircom strongly denied that it had not cooperated with the Department. An Eircom spokeswoman said its pricing was public information, was on its website and there was no question of not providing it to the Department.

The Government broadband website is www.broadband.gov.ie. The Eircom site is www.eircom.ie.