2 firms lured by Kelvin

In fact 86 per cent of the 14 companies that decided to come here after the project went live located in areas in Greater Belfast as opposed to the 14 per cent that set up in Londonderry. This is in spite of Londonderry being the location of the Project Kelvin telecommunication house.

The Director of International Investment at Invest Northern Ireland, Bill Montgomery, wrote to Trade Minister Arlene Foster last summer after the Enterprise, Trade and Investment (ETI) Committee requested information about the number of businesses attracted to areas where there were Project Kelvin Points of Presence (POPs).

Back in 2009 there had been a campaign supported by local politicians and media in Londonderry to locate the telecommunication house here rather than in Coleraine on the basis that it was vital in order to boost employment and attract businesses to the city. But just two firms located here because of the Project in its first two years.

Mr Montgomery wrote last June that Invest NI research had found that: “Since the direct international link went live, 57 externally owned companies have invested in Northern Ireland for the first time.

“Of those, 14 companies (25 per cent) have indicated that Project Kelvin was either crucial to their decision (six companies) or played a part in the decision (eight companies).

“These companies have made the decision to locate in either the Greater Belfast areas (12 companies) or the Foyle Parliamentary Constituency Area (two companies).”

He added that whilst the benefits provided by Project Kelvin are significant, they were only part of an investment proposition.

“A potential investor will base its decision on where to locate on a number of factors (other infrastructure factors, availability of skilled workforce, availability of suitable property etc.),” he wrote.

“In addition, it is not necessary to be in proximity to a point of presence in order to take advantage of the benefits offered by Project Kelvin as telecommunications carriers will have infrastructure that can connect customers to the Kelvin network.

“Customers can then avail of all of the benefits and service guarantees under the contract with Hibernia, including availability, cost and latency,” he added.

Last year the telecoms firm, which developed Project Kelvin, Hibernia Atlantic, told the Sentinel the ‘tele-exchange’ at Fort George was exactly the same as seven other ‘Points of Presence’ across Northern Ireland.