Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The national broadband plan, NBP, State-led intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland, NBI, under a contract signed last November. As I outlined in my reply to Deputy Murphy earlier, the national broadband plan network offers a high-speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500 Mbps from the outset. This represents an increase from the 150 Mbps committed to under the contract. The deployment plan forecasts premises passed in all counties within the first two years and more than 90% of premises in the State having access to high-speed broadband within the next four years.

As of 15 September, design work is complete or ongoing in target townlands across 21 counties and steady progress is being made with more than 91,000 premises surveyed to date. This activity is increasing week on week and by year end, National Broadband Ireland expects to have completed some 120,000 surveys. This activity involves physically walking the routes and documenting the images, notes and measurements of the poles, cables and underground ducts in each area. This is informing design solutions for provision of the fibre network. This detailed design is then used to initiate the "make ready" project with Eir for the area, where Eir ensures any poles and ducts being reused are fit for purpose. It is also used to initiate works with the subcontractors deploying the actual fibre in the area. The laying of the fibre should commence shortly with the first fibre to the home connections expected around December this year.

The national broadband plan has delivered significant employment opportunities with National Broadband Ireland directly employing some 140 staff and more than 500 people are now working on the plan either directly or indirectly.

Broadband connection points, BCPs, are a key element of the national broadband plan providing high-speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll-out of the fibre to the home network. Some 144 BCP sites have been installed by National Broadband Ireland and the high-speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly available sites, such as those owned by the Department of Education and Skills for schools.

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