Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Government’s national broadband plan aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high-quality, high-speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State-led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided. On 29 September the Government approved an allocation of €275 million for the national broadband plan, NBP, which will provide the initial stimulus required to deliver the Government's intervention. Combined with commercial investment, this will ensure that 85% of Ireland's premises have high-speed broadband by 2018, with 100% coverage by 2020.

Some 40 responses were received following the publication of the NBP proposed intervention strategy in July last. Non-confidential versions of these submissions have been published since last week and can be accessed at www.broadband.gov.ie. Meanwhile, my Department continues to review the technical and financial detail relating to potential new commercial investment proposals, with a view to updating the intervention area map originally published in November 2014. I expect to publish an updated version of this map showing commercial investment proposals out to 2020 as well as finalising the intervention strategy and moving to formal procurement phase before the end of the current year.

As indicated in the published draft intervention strategy, we have set a minimum download speed of 30 Mbps, with an obligation on bidders to demonstrate clearly how they propose to future-proof the network to meet anticipated future bandwidth demand. This is considered the optimal approach, rather than the Department prescribing future speeds which might not reflect future market developments and technology evolution. The Government is determined to ensure that the network is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within three to five years of the contract award.

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