Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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Question 489: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide a comparative breakdown of fixed line broadband costs to domestic and business customers in the EU; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40875/11]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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International comparisons of telecommunications costs generally, including broadband services, are increasingly complex to measure and compare. This difficulty arises from the increasing level of competition in telecommunications markets delivering a wide choice of options to customers with different terms and conditions applicable, including free or reduced rental and call charges, differing usage conditions and limits and, increasingly, service providers offering bundled services.

ComReg, the independent telecommunications market regulator in Ireland, publishes quarterly statistical reports, which include international comparisons of fixed line broadband packages for residential and business customers, prepared by Teligen using an OECD approved methodology. The tables for September 2011 are set out below.

Ireland ranks 17th of the EU 27 countries surveyed for broadband costs per month for both residential and business customers. This is slightly below the EU average cost for business customers and slightly above the EU average cost in the case of residential customers. However, as stated above, these comparison tables do not measure other factors including quality of service, usage limits nor do they include other available options to purchase more complex bundled services nor the rates negotiated bilaterally by large users connected via leased lines.