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

There is a financial disincentive to connect within a rural area for a commercial operator. It is because it has to compete with a State-subsidised provider. National Broadband Ireland has to provide 25 years of fibre broadband to people for the same price in a rural area as it would cost them in an urban area and we have State-aid approval from the EU to do that because of the market failure in those areas. It can be difficult for commercial suppliers to compete in such areas because they are competing against a provider that is State subsidised. It does occur particularly at the edges of urban area that is just as easy for commercial suppliers, such as Eir, Virgin Media, or SIRO, to deploy fibre. There are two options then for the customer which is great as they have double approval.

I would need to engage further with the Deputy to understand better exactly what is the issue. I regularly meet with all the players in the industry and I am happy to talk the Deputy. We also have the mobile phone and broadband task force, which meets will all parts of the Government, local authorities, the Department of Rural and Community Development etc. I am happy to meet with the Deputy to try to better understand the issue.

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