Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the name of each town with an operational metropolitan area network; the number and name of towns to be provided with a MANs network; the number of customers connected to each MANs network at present; the cost of the connection to each MANs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5466/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Under Phase I of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) Programme twenty-seven MANs have been constructed. All twenty-seven are operational and open for business in Carlow, Cork, Letterkenny, Gweedore, Galway, Kilkenny, Portlaoise, Carrick-on-Shannon, Manorhamilton, Limerick, Ballina, Kiltimagh, Tullamore, Roscommon, Clonmel, Dungarvan, Waterford, Mullingar, Athlone, Wexford, Dundalk, Drogheda, Carrickmacross, Monaghan, Cavan, Kingscourt and Sligo. Service providers are deemed as "customers" of the MANs. In other words, a Service Provider, as a customer of a MAN, uses the MAN to offer services on to the Service Provider's own customers. 28 service providers are offering services on the Phase I MANs, using them to compete for voice and data services over a range of platforms including:

Unbundled local loop;

Mobile wireless;

Fixed wireless;

Cable;

Partial private circuits; and

Directly connected fibre.

The cost to service providers of connecting to the suite of products and services offered by the MANs are available from eNet, (www.enet.ie), the Management Services Entity that manage, market, operate and maintain the networks on behalf of the State.

Under Phase II of the MANs Programme sixty-six towns will be provided with a MAN. These are detailed in the following table. My Department is currently undertaking a Value for Money and policy review on the first phase of the MANs Programme, which is due to be published in the coming weeks. Additionally, a draft policy paper on Next Generation Broadband Networks is being prepared by my Department. This paper will consider the optimum role for Government in facilitating the roll out of high speed broadband networks. I expect to publish this paper for public consultation in the coming months. Both the review and the policy paper will help to inform decisions on future investment by Government in broadband infrastructure programme and other communications initiatives.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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Question 426: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when it is intended to provide a MANs network for the towns of Enniscorthy, New Ross and Gorey in County Wexford; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5467/08]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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In March 2002 the Government approved the design and construction of fibre optic Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) using Government and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding under the National Development Plan 2000-2006. Phase I of this Programme delivered fibre optic networks to 27 towns and cities throughout the country, which were built on time and under budget. eNet, the Management Services Entity for Phase I, is currently managing those completed networks.

In planning the second phase of the MANs programme, a review of the availability of DSL broadband in the regions showed that over 90 towns with a population of 1,500 and above did not have a broadband service provided by the private sector, and these towns were targeted for the provision of MANs under Phase II. The towns of Gorey, Enniscorthy and New Ross all had DSL available and were not deemed to be the most needful for MANs infrastructure at that time. These towns have been identified as candidates for a possible third phase of the MANs programme.

My Department is currently undertaking a Value for Money and Policy Review on the first phase of the MANs Programme, which is due to be published in the coming weeks. Additionally, a draft policy paper on Next Generation Broadband Networks is being prepared by my Department. This paper will consider the optimum role for Government in facilitating the roll out of high speed broadband networks. I expect to publish this paper for public consultation in the coming months. Both the review and the policy paper will help to inform decisions on future investment by Government in broadband infrastructure and other communications initiatives.