Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I propose to take questions Nos. 41 and 63 together.

Broadband services are provided across the country by private service providers over various platforms including DSL over telephone lines, fixed wireless, mobile, cable, satellite and fibre. Details of broadband availability throughout the country are available at www.broadband.gov.ie. Information contained on this website is provided by the service providers. Details of broadband penetration levels are available from ComReg at www.comreg.ie.

In general, the State intervenes in the provision of broadband where there is clear evidence of market failure. Where there are already existing service providers, such intervention is governed by EU state aid and competition rules. My Department entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the national broadband scheme, NBS, in December 2008. The company is required to provide services, using a mix of technologies, to all fixed residences and businesses that are located within the NBS coverage area and who seek a service. The NBS is being rolled out on an electoral division basis with a total of 1,028 electoral divisions to receive broadband services under the NBS. 3 is progressing its network roll-out and, to date, NBS services have been made available in 38% of the electoral divisions. Under the NBS contract, 48% of the electoral divisions in the NBS coverage area are required to be enabled by the end of December 2009, while all electoral divisions in the NBS coverage area must be covered by the end of September 2010. The status of the NBS rollout is available at www.three.ie

My Department is intensively monitoring delivery of the NBS to ensure that all contractual commitments are fully met. It is accepted that even after the full roll-out of the NBS there will still be a small percentage of premises that will not be capable of receiving broadband services. This is primarily due to technical and other reasons such as the suitability of a telephone line, distance from an enabled exchange or line of sight issues.

The European economic recovery programme includes funding for access to broadband infrastructure in rural areas and my Department is considering the design and implementation of such a scheme. This work will include the identification of premises not capable of receiving broadband. It is hoped to commence this scheme in 2010 and have it completed by 2012. A notification of state aid has been made to the European Commission as part of the process of securing the necessary approvals for the scheme.

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