Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 11 July 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment

National Broadband Plan: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Jeremy Godfrey:

Before I comment on the history, I may be able to help the Deputy to understand what the directive has to state about a universal service as those words are quite useful. The directive states a USO may be implemented in exceptional circumstances, where services cannot be ensured through normal commercial measures or other potential public policy tools. The test is whether other public policy tools can be used, rather than whether a member state wants to use them.