Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 50: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action he has taken to ensure the upgrading of the telecommunications sector in terms of the standards, quality and speed of broadband services and that other communications facilities are brought into line with those available throughout the European Union and worldwide with particular reference to the need to achieve a competitive edge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35530/09]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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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 now concluded Group Broadband Scheme and investment in Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs).

Under phase I of the Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs) 27 MANs are available to customers from eNet, which is operating, managing and maintaining the networks on behalf of the State under a 15-year concession agreement. Under Phase II of the MANs Programme, 59 MANs covering 66 towns have been completed. Construction of the remaining networks will be completed during 2010. These initiatives have helped to facilitate the development of the market to the point where over 83% of SMEs and 66% of Irish households now have a broadband connection. Additionally, ComReg's quarterly report for Q2 2009, states that 70.1% of those SMEs and 66.9% of those households have a connection in the higher speed category of 2mbps – 10mbps.

In December 2008, my Department entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). The wider policy objectives of the NBS are (i) to address the market's failure to provide broadband in the more remote parts of rural Ireland, (ii) to address economic and social exclusion concerns due to a lack of broadband access and (iii) to enhance the competitiveness of the regions for foreign and indigenous investment. 3 will be required to provide services to all residences and businesses that are located within the NBS area and who seek a service. The network is being rolled out progressively and all of the Electoral Districts in the NBS coverage area are required to be enabled by the end of September 2010.

A key area of government policy is to develop the knowledge workers and digital citizens of the future. Connected schools will underpin this aim. As a start, 78 post-primary schools have been selected to participate in a pilot project that will see them equipped with 100 megabits per second of broadband connectivity and Local Area Networks (LAN) installed. It is expected that schools will begin to be connected in the coming months and that all schools in the pilot project will be connected by mid-2010. I am also considering how the provision of broadband services to un-served rural premises can be achieved through an appropriate intervention under the European Economic Recovery Package (EERP). My Department is currently considering options for the design of such a scheme. It is hoped to commence this scheme in 2010 and conclude it in 2011. Discussions with the European Commission on the necessary State Aid clearance have commenced.

The policy framework for future broadband development is set out in the policy paper on Next Generation Broadband, which I published in June. A central commitment is that Ireland will have universal access to broadband by 2010 and that by 2012 our broadband speeds will equal or exceed those in comparator EU regions. I am also actively engaged with the EU Commission's review of the regulatory framework for electronic communications. Effective regulation, and more consistency in regulatory approaches across all the Member States, will enhance the conditions necessary for investment in communications technology and allow Ireland exploit the opportunities such technology brings for the benefit of our economy and society.