DEPUTY FIRST Minister Martin McGuinness has said he believes an international communications “telehouse” will finally be located in Derry.
Mr McGuinness and Foyle MP Mark Durkan had raised concerns that Derry had been overlooked for the project in favour of another site near Coleraine in the east of the county.
“Project Kelvin” involves connecting a new submarine cable to the Hibernia North Transatlantic cable located 22 miles off the north coast of Ireland.
Minister for Communications Eamon Ryan and Stormont industry Minister Arlene Foster last month announced the awarding of a £30 million (€32 million) contract to construct the new direct telecommunications link to North America designed to benefit both parts of Ireland.
Their departments awarded the contract to Hibernia Atlantic Limited which will provide direct communications links for Belfast, Derry, Coleraine, Armagh, Letterkenny, Monaghan, Castleblayney, Drogheda and Dundalk.
The project is seen as an important step in improving the communications infrastructure of the north of the island of Ireland, enabling higher speed broadband access and removing the need to route communications through London.
Following a meeting with Ms Foster earlier this week, Mr McGuinness said “a lot of work has been taking place” behind the scenes to ensure the cable comes ashore in Derry.
“I have been involved in meetings with the First Minister, with Arlene Foster, and with the Department of the Taoiseach,” added Mr McGuinness.
“As a result of all of that I’m greatly encouraged that we will find a way through and we will find a resolution to all of this shortly,” he told the BBC.