Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 371: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of houses participating in the national broadband scheme in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16832/12]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 372: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the minimum standards acceptable for satellite Internet supply under the national broadband scheme; the quality of service this should enable users to avail of; if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties facing some users of the service in accessing certain websites (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16833/12]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 373: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there are any plans to improve the standard of broadband to those availing of the national broadband scheme in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16834/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 371 to 373, inclusive, together.

Under the National Broadband Scheme (NBS), services are available since October 2010 from the NBS service provider, 3, to persons with a fixed residence or fixed business in each of the 1,028 Electoral Divisions (ED) designated to be covered under the Scheme. There are 37 EDs within the NBS Coverage Area in County Wicklow. To date, 1,240 customers within these EDs have chosen to avail of the NBS service.

With regard to plans to improve the standard of the NBS service, a contractual upgrade of the specifications of the NBS mobile product will take place from October of this year, without an increase in the monthly fee. Following the upgrade, the minimum download speed will increase from 1.6Mbps to 2.3Mbps while the minimum upload speed will increase from 1.2Mbps to 1.4Mbps, with a maximum contention ratio of 18:1. The combined monthly data allowance will move from 25GB to 40GB.

For technical reasons associated with location, the NBS contract always envisaged that a small percentage of premises would require connection via satellite. For satellite customers, currently minimum speeds of 1Mbps download and 128Kbps upload, subject to a maximum contention ratio of 48:1 and a monthly data allowance of 11GB apply. There will be a contractual upgrade to the NBS satellite product in July 2012, which will see the minimum download speed increase to 1.6Mbps and minimum upload speed increase to 256Kbps, while the contention ratio and data allowance remain the same. Similarly, following the further satellite upgrade in February 2014, the minimum download speed will increase to 2Mbps while the other specifications remain the same. My Department has put in place robust monitoring arrangements to ensure that the NBS delivers the minimum specified service or better to all users. 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. I understand that if a customer's usage remains within the monthly data allowance of 11GB, customers should not be experiencing any problems accessing "everyday" websites. Should such problems arise, the customer should contact 3 and their issues will be addressed. 3's customer care centre can be contacted 24 hours a day 7 days a week by phone at 1913 (free of charge), via email to nbssupport@three.ie or by post to 3 Customer Services, Hutchison 3G Ireland Limited, PO Box 333, Dublin 2.

My Department has a role when customers have fully utilised the established complaints process. It operates a dedicated NBS mailbox, which NBS customers can contact by email at nationalbroadbandscheme@dcenr.gov.ie with any comments or complaints they may have about their NBS service. Should any customers have unresolved problems with their NBS service, they can contact my Department and my officials will liaise with 3 to remedy their service performance issues.