Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy's initial question relates to the amending of the blue areas on the map. We announced last week that we would include another 170,000 homes and premises in this. We were given a commitment by the commercial operators which, in fairness, have put a significant amount of money - approximately €2 billion over the past four years - into rolling out the network. Nevertheless, it was clear that most of the approximately 170,000 premises identified by us as in the blue area might have had fibre passing the head of the road but the homes would not be able to get 30 Mpbs broadband. For example, it could be that the exchange is within 1 km as the crow flies but the copper wire could go in a circuitous route. That means the premises would not get those speeds. These are mainly areas within the vicinity of towns and we do not see an additional cost being involved as the build-out will already be taking place.

We could have a significant amount of the rural areas covered in time for the EU objective for 2020. I will not commit to a threshold of 2020 until the contractor or contractors are appointed but from what we are told, many of them seem to be determined to get this rolled out far quicker than we envisage. I do not want to promise people they will get broadband by a specific date but it is not achieved. Deputy Dooley and everybody else knows that we, in rural Ireland, are sick and tired of being promised dates for high-speed broadband only for it not to happen.

On the question of whether the 30 Mbps threshold should be increased to 100 Mbps, we picked 30 Mbps as the minimum required. We have indicated that a higher threshold is required for businesses, which are scattered right across rural Ireland. The solutions put forward by the three preferred bidders are likely to involve much higher speeds than the minimum threshold. It is important that the public understands that currently, there are operators promising up to 100 Mbps but, in reality, the speeds available are dramatically lower. We are saying that 99.95% of the time, people will get a minimum of 30 Mbps. That is a significant threshold and on top of that, businesses will require a much higher threshold. In reality, speeds will be significantly higher. There is a mechanism in the way the contract is structured to review this threshold every three to five years if the requirements exist for higher speeds. That will come about over the 25-year contract.

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