Despite a significant downturn in employment, the number of broadband subscribers went up by 6.7 percent in the last quarter of 2008. Digital TV also showed a gain.

Ireland's communications regulator ComReg said there were over 1.2 million broadband subscribers by the end of the year.  Mobile broadband grew at a rate of 15 percent in Q4 and a whopping 142 percent as compared to last year.

Broadband per capita reached 27.1 percent during the quarter and DSL subscriptions alone accounted for 45.9 percent of all Internet subscriptions. Dial-up Internet subscribers fell by 27.3 percent, leaving just 237,475 on the Emerald Isle.

For more:
- Irish Times reports ComReg stats.

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