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

I agree with everything the Deputy said on the objectives behind the national broadband plan. This is the reason I made the decision with a heavy heart. However, the model I selected met all of the criteria the Deputy set out compared with the other model.

To respond to the Deputy's question on the last mile, 26 years from now, the last mile will be owned by the private sector. For the next 25 years, however, it will be controlled by the State and managed by a separate entity. However, we now have 25 years to put in place proper regulations, including a universal service obligation. It should be noted that we have a universal service obligation in place for voice services and we are not inundated with complaints from people who cannot get access to a telephone line. The universal service obligation on voice services is, therefore, working and we must ensure a similar obligation is in place in 26 years to ensure people have access to real and genuine high-speed broadband.

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