The Midland Regional Authority comprises the counties of Laois, Longford, Offaly and Westmeath. The Midland Regional Authority endeavours to boost the economic social and cultural development of the Midlands, and sees the development of information and communication technologies within the region as a key component in this regard.

The Midland Regional Authority embraces the notion of global competitiveness and bases its strategies on a number of policy objectives including: the creation of sustainable employment, equal opportunities, social inclusion, the protection of the environment and the promotion of the information society. A key requirement is to move the Midlands economy to a knowledge based, high-tech, high-value-added driven economy. Central to this is the provision of broadband infrastructure in its various forms.

A Steering Group under the chair of the Midland Regional Authority made a successful application under the E-Commerce Broadband Measure of the Regional Operational Programme for funding for the development of Broadband infrastructure in each of the main towns within the region - Athlone, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Roscommon and Tullamore (Longford had previously secured funding under this measure through private enterprise). The regional design office in Westmeath County Council has been assigned the task of managing the detailed design and contract documents for the provision of infrastructure.

In the past, the Midland Regional Authority has engaged in a number of information technology advancement initiatives, such as the tele-working initiative and CAIT (Computer application Information Technology) and will pursue the development of a pilot application of wireless ICT in the region under the Regions in the New Economy - Innovative Actions Community Initiative Programme which has received funding from the EU.