Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I do not have the number of broadband connection points, BCPs, in County Carlow but I will get those to the Deputy directly. As she said, there are more than 400. Most of the points are funded through the Department of Rural and Community Development under the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, who has a lot of enthusiasm for the connection of broadband connection points. They provide an option for someone who needs broadband. It is a fill-in measure while they wait for the fibre to reach their home. It means there is an office in the village that they can work from whether in a GAA or church hall or community centre. The BCPs are very valuable and I will get back to the Deputy with numbers for Carlow.

Low-earth orbit satellites are a rather new technology. We had Iridium and now we have Starlink. We are certainly considering where it fits into our overall broadband strategy. Is it something we should use widely or as a backup when cable is not available? I understand that the Starlink service is able to operate without a licence at the moment and is now deploying, and that people can opt for it. It is expensive. It is many times the cost of getting a fibre-optic broadband connection, which is typically €100 for connection and then €35 a month whereas a low-earth orbit satellite might cost €500 upfront and €100 a month. That is much more expensive but it might suit some people. It is certainly not a technology that we are ignoring. We consider it all the time. If the Deputy wants to ask more detailed questions, my office will be happy to answer.

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