Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

The provision of broadband is generally a matter for the service providers. The Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, is responsible for regulating the telecommunications sector. ComReg is charged with promoting competition, encouraging efficient investment in infrastructure and promoting innovation.

Urban areas, because of the density of population, residential homes and commercial businesses, tend to be well served by competing service providers. While no specific data is available on broadband services in urban areas, the combination of policy, investment and regulatory interventions has helped to facilitate the development of the market to the point where over 62% of Irish households and 83% of Irish SMEs now have a broadband connection.

It can be assumed that these penetration levels are higher in urban areas. According to ComReg's fourth quarter key data report, 68% of business subscriptions in Ireland are in the 2–10 mbps range while 25% are in the 1–2 mbps range. Some 60% of residential subscriptions in Ireland are in the 2–10 mbps range while 35% are in the 1–2 mbps range. Higher speeds, in some cases up to 50 mbps, are also available to residential and SME customers in urban areas. For example, speeds of up to 24 mbps are available from DSL providers, 50 mbps products are available from fibre operators and 20 mbps products are available from cable operators.

The competition that currently exists in urban areas has been facilitated by a series of policy, investment and regulatory interventions. In addition, the Department has undertaken a variety of initiatives to improve broadband coverage nationwide, with particular focus on the provision of high speed broadband in urban areas by way of the metropolitan area networks, MANs, programme. Phase 1 of the MANs programme has delivered fibre optic networks to 27 towns and cities throughout the country. All 27 networks are operational and open for business.

Under phase II of the MANs programme, 59 of 60 MANs which provide open access networks to 65 towns across the country are now completed. It is hoped that the final network of the phase 2 programme will be completed in early 2010. The phase 2 MANs, which are now complete, are available to service operators under an interim management arrangement. A contract for a full management services agreement for the phase II MANs towns is expected to be signed shortly. This will further enhance the potential for high-speed broadband in urban areas.

More generally, the Government is committed to universal access to broadband by 2010 and that by 2012 our broadband speeds will equal or exceed those in comparator EU regions.

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