Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

My Department has prepared a draft policy paper on next generation broadband. The paper reviews current communications infrastructure policy and analyses policy options in the light of industry developments regarding the optimum role for the Government in the planning and roll-out of next generation broadband. Two weeks ago I convened a meeting of the expert International Advisory Forum to examine the paper. The forum critiqued draft options and recommendations on how to meet the challenges that lay ahead. The key challenge is getting higher speed broadband at lower cost to more subscribers. The forum members have provided valuable feedback. They supported the broad trust of the document. They also offered some additional recommendations and advice on the future trends of the telecommunications and ICT industries and proposed that certain suggestions be explored further. The draft paper is being updated to reflect the forum's contribution. It will then be published for public consultation.

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