Mr. Mark Hughes:

The Deputy asked a question regarding the focus of operators in terms of their investment and whether it was exclusively or predominantly on data. The answer to that question is "No"; it is on both voice and data. As for coverage, as my industry colleague, Ms Mairead Cullen, explained, a number of factors influence this. Two issues additional to those she outlined which also influence coverage are the increased use of data - which of its nature puts pressure on voice calls - and the increased penetration of smartphones, of which everyone is aware. Smartphones are complex devices that raise issues from a network perspective that must be managed. As Ms Mairead Cullen outlined, from a network perspective we monitor the network on an hourly and daily basis, looking at usage and seeking to optimise the services that customers receive from the perspectives of both voice and data. The focus really is on ensuring there is coverage where there is usage - namely, in the home, in work premises and while people travel.

In respect of the investment, from the perspective of mobile telephony, investment is ongoing with regard to upgrading to both 3G and 4G. That investment has begun and in the case of all the operators represented here today, there have been upgrades to 3G and 4G in most, if not all, of the counties. However, as Mr. Pat Galvin has outlined, that process will take time. Nevertheless, one would expect that to be completed over the next two to three years, as it has begun and is being rolled out. This investment is not simply an urban investment but also a rural investment. Consequently, as Mr. Galvin outlined with regard to 4G, for example, it will be rolled out in rural areas and in respect of the national broadband scheme, NBS, areas. As part of this, however, as Mr. Denihan outlined, there are issues that affect the optimal level of service that customers can use - for example, where a site is located and whether we can get access to roads. To the extent that we can work together with the Government, local authorities and members present today to overcome those issues, ultimately, together with our investment, we should see an improvement in both voice coverage and data usage from a customer perspective.