John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 176: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the OECD survey which shows that Ireland's position in regard to fast Internet access slipped from third place ten years ago to nineteenth out of 22 countries (details supplied); the way in which this will be reversed so that the business sector here will remain competitive; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31128/05]

John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 177: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his plans to redress the European Competitive Telecommunications Association's trends which report that Ireland is at the bottom of the table (details supplied) in relation to broadband progress over the past 12 months; the reason the contract with Eircom to provide fixed line and Internet services to the public sector valued at €60 million a year was renewed for two more years without public tender or advertisement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31129/05]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 177 together.

The provision of telecommunications, including broadband, is a matter in the first instance for the private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. ComReg's register of authorised undertakings currently lists no less than 196 companies offering Internet access services in Ireland with a wide variety of service levels.

According to recent EU Internet statistics there are over two million Internet users in Ireland. This represents user growth of 163% in the last four years and a market penetration per population of 51.2%, which compares favourably with the EU average of 48.9%. The rate of broadband uptake is dependent on a combination of factors. These include access by the private sector service providers to suitable infrastructure, as well as competition between broadband service providers and demand conditions for broadband in the economy. The Government has addressed the infrastructure deficit by building high-speed open access metropolitan area networks, MANs, in over 20 towns and cities nationwide to date, in association with the local and regional authorities. My Department also offers funding assistance to smaller towns and rural communities to support the roll-out of broadband services through the county and group broadband scheme, under which 150 projects have already been approved covering over 450 communities. The broadband for schools initiative, which is currently under way, will ensure the provision of broadband to all primary and post primary schools in the country by early 2006.

The number of broadband users continues to grow fast, across a range of technologies and there are now in excess of 175,000 broadband users, an increase of over 75% since the end of 2004. The current take-up rate for broadband is in the region of 10,000 per month.

My Department's broadband website www.broadband.gov.ie gives prices, service levels, locations and contact details of 44 service providers offering a wide range of broadband services in all areas of the country from 0.256 megabits per second to 56 megabits per second, using a range of delivery platforms such as cable, DSL, fixed wireless and satellite. There is a range of broadband technologies that can deliver broadband to any customer in Ireland at the moment. Full details of the regional broadband programme can be found on my Department's website www.dcmnr.gov.ie. The contract for the provision of fixed line and Internet services to the public sector is handled by the Department of Finance.