Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Does that information get updated in respect of the fact that NBI has just started the survey or has just started the build out, and then, obviously, the bingo day? There is a reason that I am asking this. The constituents in the non-NBI area and the non-fibre area, because Eir has fibre as well, are not without broadband. There is virtually nobody without broadband, particularly if there are adults or students in the house who do anything online. Broadband is fairly pervasive but some of them have contracts with other suppliers that are inferior but much dearer contracts involving satellites and everything else.

They have to sign up for a certain period, so the longer and more accurate the lead-in time, the more the contract can be tailored to end at a certain time. I suspect one reason for the time lag in swapping over to fibre is not that people do not realise what fibre does, because broadband users know fibre is the best, but that they sometimes have contracts already and do not wish to double pay. Therefore, it would be useful to know a year or 18 months in advance what is due to happen, including in respect of the various milestones. This would help people to save money and also get what the State is investing in, which is the best service possible. This would be a massive game-changer on the ground.

Even people who use hubs want broadband in the home. A hub has a function other than just providing broadband. In 2027 or 2028, when the whole country will have fibre in every building that wants it, there will still be people going to hubs for various reasons. I used a hub this week but not to use the broadband. I used it because I wanted a meeting between various parties in the most convenient place. The hubs will be very important. One can have online meetings and so on in a neutral space. That said, hub users will also work at home. All of us, as Deputies, are fairly mobile. I always say I have three permanent offices: my office here, my constituency office in Galway, and my home, which is 35 miles from Galway. In addition, I have an office anywhere I go to stay or spend part of a day. My first question in a hotel is whether there is fibre. Nowadays, it is more or less a given. If renting a house for a holiday, a person's first question is whether it has broadband. There are many people living in this reality nowadays, meaning they require pervasive availability.

To go back to the direct point, NBI is stating it can give people accurate updates if they register.