Perhaps now is a good time to say that a Telehouse in Derry is a really bad idea.....

Okay, best to read this post in this order. First of all take five minutes to read the BBC report.

Done? Right..... and I quote.....

The Fort George site has been earmarked as the location for Project Kelvin, but more than half the site is contaminated with heavy metals.

So perhaps this is not the best place for it after all. Who's paying the £6m for the potential clean up by the way?

Project Kelvin is a telecommunications initiative - which is expected to bring major benefits to the local economy.

An unmanned station controlled from Dublin will not bring major benefits to the local economy. I do wish people will stop fooling themselves on this one. All that happens is that data comes in and out just a little bit faster (not that much mind).

The telehouse will be the point were a transatlantic cable will link to the Northern Ireland telecoms network.

It's actually hitting land at Portrush so it's always made sense to put the Telehouse there. Suffice to say that there's probably someone somewhere with a vested interest to make sure the Telehouse is in Derry to secure contracts and the like. I wonder how long it takes to get the data from Portrush to Derry?

Here's my argument. £6million to clean up could be £6m used for job creation. How about an incubation unit (not Noribic, another one run so other people know about it). Perhaps a bit into creating a sustainable digital economy in Derry and the North West. It's not a lot to ask. There is one question that I am going to ask and I'm pleading for a level headed answer. How is a telehouse in Derry create jobs when the facts are laid before us.... it's an unmanned station.

I would like answers...... and good ones at that. Over to you Derry City Council.