Written answers

Tuesday, 30 November 2010

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Telecommunications Services

5:00 am

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans to establish a next generation network task force; the way in which this is distinct from the broadband task force announced in the July 2009 next generation report; the persons who will be on this task force; if this task force has met yet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44986/10]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Government policy on the development of the electronic communications market in Ireland is set out in "Next Generation Broadband – Gateway to a Knowledge Ireland", which I published in June 2009. The policy paper proposed the establishment of a Next Generation Broadband Taskforce, comprising industry, Government and ComReg, aimed at ensuring that the development of broadband in Ireland will meet the demands of Ireland's Smart Economy. I am keen to facilitate collaborative approaches to the roll out of Next Generation Broadband infrastructure to maximise the development of next generation services without compromising competitive market principles and rules.

Any collaborative model would occur in a market which is fully liberalised and subject to national and EU competition rules. The EU Commission first published a public consultation on regulatory rules for Next Generation Access to broadband in September 2008. The issues arising were complex and delayed a formal EU Commission position until September 2010 when its "Recommendation of 20.9.2010 on regulated access to Next Generation Access Networks (NGA)", was published. The Recommendation concludes that proportionate collaboration among competitors in developing next generation broadband infrastructure is in the consumer interest and permissible. Following this clarification, I have moved to establish the NGB Taskforce which will meet for the first time on 14th December. It will focus, amongst other issues, on how possible collaborative approaches to investment coupled with the existing policy environment and regulatory regime, could give rise to higher quality broadband.

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