Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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Question 62: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on whether persons receiving broadband through the national broadband scheme are experiencing minimum speeds; the way these minimum speeds are monitored; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44990/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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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 roll out and NBS broadband services are now available in all of the 1,028 designated Electoral Divisions (ED) to be covered under the Scheme.

Under the contract, the NBS mobile wireless broadband service was upgraded to higher specifications (speeds, contention and data caps) in July 2010, without any increase in the monthly recurring charge. Currently, NBS subscribers can experience speeds ranging from a minimum download speed of 1.6Mbps to a maximum download speed of 6.8Mbps, a minimum upload speed of 1.2Mbps to a maximum upload speed of 4Mbps, with a maximum contention ratio of 22:1. The data cap has increased to 25GB. 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 and with a data cap of 11GB.

My Department has put in place robust monitoring arrangements to ensure that the NBS 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 guarantees service levels and imposes a service credit regime on "3" with significant financial consequences in the event that minimum specification service levels are not met. The 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 analysis of monitoring reports for I-HSPA and satellite, I can confirm that the average user has been able to receive download and upload speeds in excess of the minimum requirements. 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.