Mr. Peter Hendrick:

The commercial operators in urban operators have announced that they plan to roll out fibre. Siro is extending its programme to add another 200,000 or 300,000 homes, Virgin Media has committed €200 million to swap out its copper co-ax network with fibre and Eir has announced its programme to bring fibre to urban areas. There is a competitive tension between those operators to want to connect homes.

The difference, as we look at fibre and the future-proofing element of it, when consumers move over to fibre, the likelihood of them switching retail operators is probably lower because the service is much more predictable. The challenges will probably be in respect of price, which is where competition between the operators comes in, as well as service, which includes devices that they install in-home around Wi-Fi coverage, whether they offer television services etc. According to the plan between now and 2025 or 2026, based on all the announcements, Ireland will be one of the first countries in Europe to have a full-fibre footprint across the country.