Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 235: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the planned delivery of broadband to an area (details supplied) in County Offaly; when broadband will be delivered to each part of this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17445/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The provision of broadband services is in the first instance a matter for private sector service providers operating in Ireland's fully liberalised telecommunications market. Broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e over the telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and satellite. Details of broadband services available in each county, including county Offaly, can be found on ComReg's website at www.callcosts.ie.

Kinnity, County Offaly, does not come within the scope of the National Broadband Scheme which aims to provide access to affordable and scalable broadband services to fixed residences and businesses within its designated rural areas. This is because, in designing the NBS, which was approved by the EU Commission, a balance had to be struck between reaching as many unserved areas as possible and minimising the impact of the scheme on businesses already providing broadband services in rural areas. EU State Aid and competition rules govern how states can intervene in areas where there are existing service providers. Accordingly, the NBS is prohibited from providing a service in areas where to do so would give rise to an unacceptable level of market distortion.

It continues to be a priority of the Government that there will be broadband coverage across the entire country. However, despite Government and private investment in broadband, I am aware that there continues to be a small percentage of premises throughout the country that will not be capable of receiving broadband services. This is primarily due to technical and other reasons (suitability of a telephone line, distance from an enabled exchange, no line of sight etc.).

The European Commission has set aside a portion of the European Economic Recovery Programme (EERP) funding for rural broadband initiatives. My Department is currently considering the design and implementation of a scheme which would use this funding to address the issue of basic broadband availability to un-served rural premises outside of the NBS areas. This work will include the identification of premises not capable of receiving broadband. It is hoped to commence this scheme in late 2010 and have it completed by 2012. As the scheme is only at the design stage, there is no application process at this juncture. Information in relation to acceptance of applications and the process of qualification under the scheme will be made available in due course when the scheme is launched.