Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 1429: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of the 4,100 primary and secondary schools that have received broadband connectivity under the broadband for schools programme; if the NGN standard will apply to the national broadband scheme specifications; the regions or areas included in the national broadband scheme; the reason the fastest speed offered to businesses here costs four to five times the cost of higher speed services in France, Germany and Hungary; and the plans being developed to introduce faster broadband speed for business use here. [1040/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter for the private sector. Broadband service providers operate in a fully liberalised market, regulated, where appropriate, by the independent Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg. I have no function in respect of pricing of these services.

To date, under the Schools Broadband Programme, 3,850 of the country's schools or 98% have received broadband access.

The role of the Government is to formulate regulatory and infrastructure policies to facilitate the provision of high quality telecommunications services, by competing private sector service providers.

The widespread provision of broadband services continues to be a priority for the Government. In that regard my Department has undertaken initiatives to address the gaps in broadband coverage. These include providing grant-aid under the recently concluded Group Broadband Scheme and investment in Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs).

There are still some parts of the country where the private sector will be unable to justify the commercial provision of broadband services. Accordingly, the procurement process for a National Broadband Scheme (NBS) is under way. The NBS will provide broadband services to areas that are currently unserved and will ensure that all reasonable requests for broadband in unserved areas are met. It is anticipated that a preferred bidder will be selected and appointed in June 2008.

A complex mapping exercise was undertaken in order to identify all areas where broadband services are and are not available. My Department and ComReg contacted service providers and requested details of their current and planned broadband coverage. Areas that are not currently served but are expected to be served by 1 July 2008 will not be covered by the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). However, if those areas remain unserved on 1 July, 2008, the NBS winning Service Provider will be permitted to serve those areas under the scheme.

Details of broadband services available throughout the country are available on my Department's Broadband website www.broadband.gov.ie which shows DSL and Wireless broadband coverage available in any area.

In addition, as part of the Procurement Process for the National Broadband Scheme (NBS), a complex mapping exercise was undertaken to identify all areas where broadband services are and are not available. This map is available on my Department's main website www.dcenr.ie.

The final product that customers will receive from the NBS will be an always on service of at least 1Mbit/s down and 128kbits/s up. Service Providers are also required to offer improved products in the future.

Worldwide, the telecommunications sector is focusing its investment plans on what has become knows as Next Generation Networks (NGNs), which are likely to see the delivery of higher-bandwidth broadband services over fibre-optic infrastructure. I understand many of the service providers in Ireland are formulating plans for the rollout of NGNs. My Department is currently considering policy options in relation to the optimum role for Government in encouraging and facilitating the planning and rollout of next generation broadband in Ireland, including how existing Government owned infrastructure, and possible future government investment, could help achieve national policy objectives in this area. I expect to publish a draft policy paper on Next Generation Broadband Networks for public consultation in the coming months.