Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of businesses connected to each metropolitan area network by town; the cost of each connection; his views on whether the usage of this network is satisfactory; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16643/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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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. 35 service providers are currently offering services on the Phase I MANs and 6 service providers are currently offering services on the Phase II MANs. Service providers use the MANs to provide voice and data services to their own customers over a range of platforms including: · Unbundled local loop; · Mobile wireless; · Fixed wireless; · Cable; · Partial private circuits; and · Directly connected fibre. Information relating to the use of the MANs by service providers, including the numbers of customers served by each service provider, is commercially sensitive and a matter for e|net, the Management Services Entity and for each service provider.

Customer connection costs depend on a number of factors including the distance a customer is from the existing MAN infrastructure, the presence of existing ducting and the surface type that has to be constructed. Currently the average cost of each connection is between €8,000 and €9,000 which reflects the high cost of any civil construction work carried out in an urban area. Levels of usage on the MANs vary between towns. Whilst take-up by service providers of the Phase I MANs was slow in the initial stages there has been significant improvement in this regard over the past five years. An analysis carried out by e|net recently showed an estimated 570,000 people relied on the MANs' services for some form of communications services.

The IDA believe that the MANs have provided inward investors with much greater choice, service and pricing when it comes to broadband connectivity. The MANs have also contributed significantly to the competitiveness of regional centres in Ireland and their attractiveness to foreign direct investment. While recognising that difficulties remain on backhaul and last mile connections, I believe that the MANs will provide real long term benefits for our national broadband infrastructure and that use of the MANs will continue to evolve in a manner which is of increasing benefit to service providers and end users.

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 101: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views regarding the OECD figures that rank Ireland 20th out of a table of 30 OECD nations for households with broadband access in 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16650/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The OECD report is one in a series of periodic reports on electronic communications markets. The broadband market is a fast moving one and international tables do not always capture the full extent of market developments. At the end of 2009, Ireland's broadband per capita penetration rate stood at 32.4% with mobile broadband included, significantly ahead of the June 2009 OECD average of 22.8%. Our penetration rate, excluding mobile, was 21.9% at the end of 2009.

It is noteworthy that Ireland continued to be one of the leading countries in terms of year on year broadband growth in the OECD, adding 2.64 subscribers (per 100 of population) while the OECD average stood at only 1.72 subscribers. With mobile broadband included, our year on year per capita penetration rate grew by 5.3 subscribers, from 27.1% in Q4 2008 to 32.4% at the end of 2009. It is also notable that ComReg's quarterly report for Q3/2009 calculated that when fixed and mobile broadband penetration rates were combined, Ireland ranked 11th out of the EU27 countries (note: no mobile broadband figure was represented for Finland); 14th among fixed broadband penetration rates only and 4th among mobile broadband penetration rates only. However, as set out in the Government's broadband policy document, my ambition is to improve that position so that we match the leading European countries and regions in broadband accessibility.