Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 40: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the national broadband scheme; the cost of the scheme to date; the overall expected cost; if the project is set for completion in September 2010; the maximum and minimum speeds expected for this scheme; the way he is monitoring the speeds that are being achieved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23041/10]

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Question 42: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide an update on the national broadband scheme in terms of speeds being provided and levels of coverage being achieved to date. [23097/10]

Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the steps he will take to ensure that minimum contractual speeds within the national broadband scheme are achieved; if he is satisfied that minimum contractual speeds are being achieved at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23036/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 40, 42 and 71 together.

My Department entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) in late December 2008. Since then, 3 has progressed its network rollout and NBS broadband services are now available in more than 65% of the 1,028 designated Electoral Divisions (ED) to be covered under the Scheme. Under the NBS contract, all EDs in the NBS Coverage Area are required to have broadband connectivity by the end of September 2010. The total current and capital cost of the full rollout of the NBS has been estimated by "3" at some €223m, of which a maximum of €79.8m will be contributed by the Government and the EU.

The Government and the EU contribution to date, under the Scheme, amounts to some €48m.

Currently the mobile wireless broadband service (I-HSPA) specifications include a minimum download speed of 1.2Mbps and a maximum download speed of 5Mbps, a minimum upload speed of 200kpbs and a maximum upload speed of 1.8Mbps. A maximum contention ratio of 36:1 also applies, with a data cap of 15GB.

The satellite product, deployed in a very limited number of cases, has contracted minimum speeds of 1Mbps download and 128kbps upload, with a maximum contention ratio of 48:1, with a data cap of 11GB.

Under the NBS contract, the mobile wireless broadband products will be upgraded to higher specifications (speeds, contention and data caps) in July 2010 and again in October 2012 without any increase in the monthly recurring charge.

Following the 2010 upgrade, NBS subscribers will experience minimum download speeds of 1.6Mbps and maximum download speed of 6.8Mbps, minimum upload speeds of 1.2Mbps and maximum upload speed of 4Mbps, with a maximum contention ratio of 22:1. The data cap will increase to 25GB.

Following the 2012 upgrade, NBS subscribers will experience minimum download speeds of 2.3Mbps and maximum download speed of 10.4Mbps, minimum upload speeds of 1.4Mbps and maximum upload speed of 4.8Mbps, with a maximum contention ratio of 18:1. The data cap will increase to 40GB.

Similarly, following contracted upgrades to the satellite product in July 2012 and again in February 2014, minimum download speeds of 1.6Mbps and 2Mbps respectively, together with a minimum upload speed of 256Kbps and a maximum contention ratio of 48:1, will apply, with the data cap remaining at 11GB.

My Department has put in place robust monitoring of the NBS to ensure that the network delivers the minimum specified service or better to all users. Performance delivery data, which is submitted to my Department on a monthly basis or as required, is critically analysed by independent technical consultants Analysys Mason Ltd.

The monitoring arrangements provide information on a wide range of key indicators including the broadband excess availability in each cell of the network, the number of customers resident in that cell and actual contention and latency values. Utilisation thresholds are set for each element of the network and upgrades of the network and its capacity are automatically triggered at contractually agreed levels of traffic to ensure that the quality of the broadband service is maintained.

In addition, a sample selection of customers is monitored for quality on a monthly basis. Download and upload speeds are sampled at a number of locations monthly to ensure that minimum speeds are met or exceeded.

The NBS contract also provides for independent monitoring and audit at any stage during the contract with a view to verifying that the services are being provided in accordance with the contract.

I can confirm that 3's I-HSPA network which is used to deliver the NBS is designed and dimensioned to ensure that the network delivers the minimum contracted service, or better to all NBS users. Performance monitoring reports, including customer experience data, confirms this to be the case.

Based on the most recent monitoring reports for I-HSPA and satellite, I can confirm that the average user has been able to receive download speeds in excess of the minimum requirements and the network is virtually un-contended. This level of service delivery is supported by the sampling of customer experience and the speed sampling.

On the basis of the information provided to my Department, I am satisfied that the specified service levels required under the NBS contract are being met.