Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 147: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the extent to which he has monitored the cost of broadband provision per customer; the length of time it will take to galvanise broadband provision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19829/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
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The telecommunications sector is fully liberalised and the provision of services, including broadband, is a matter for private sector companies operating under the regulation of the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg.

Prices charged for broadband services vary, depending on bandwidth and other factors. My Department's website, www.broadband.gov.ie, lists the monthly subscription fees for 190 broadband service offerings, ranging from 0.128 Mbps to upwards of 56 Mbps. Twenty-five of those service offerings are priced at €35 per month or less, which is close to the EU average for such services.

The number of broadband customers has now passed 160,000, an increase of over 400% since the beginning of 2004, while ComReg's register of authorised undertakings currently lists 169 Internet service providers offering services in Ireland. This is an indication of the vigorous growth in the broadband market here, which is being assisted in no small way by the investment of up to €200 million of Government and European Regional Development Fund, ERDF, funding under the national development plan, NDP, in metropolitan area networks and other broadband infrastructure initiatives.