Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his policy regarding the provision of uncongested high speed broadband to industry as in some areas where large scale employers are located (details supplied) and in view of the fact that these companies have not got required Mbps speeds; and if he will examine these two locations as pilot areas [41952/12]

Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will in conjunction with the Industrial Development Agency and Enterprise Ireland participate in the National mapping exercise being conducted in the National Broadband Plan to identify priority areas for upgrading to uncongested high speed broadband where currently there are existing employers whose businesses are severely hindered by deficiencies in existing service. [41953/12]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 341 and 342 together.

The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020, and that significantly higher speeds are available to as many homes and businesses as possible.

The National Broadband Plan for Ireland commits to high speed broadband availability across the country – specifically: 70Mbps – 100Mbps will be available from the commercial market operators to more than half of the population by 2015; At least 40Mbps, and in many cases faster speeds, to at least a further 20% (and potentially as much as 35%) of the population during the lifetime of the Government; and A minimum of 30Mbps for every remaining home and business in the country, also during the lifetime of the Government.

During the preparation of the National Broadband Plan, the commercial market operators indicated that they expect to provide 70Mbps to 100Mbps services to 50% of the population by 2015. The areas to be provided with those services will be determined by the commercial market operators.

One of the first steps in delivering on the 30Mbps and 40Mbps commitments will be the completion of a formal national mapping exercise to determine the exact position in relation to commercial service providers’ existing and planned broadband services throughout the country.

The National Broadband Plan contains a commitment that my Department will undertake a full mapping exercise in respect of high speed broadband deployment. The mapping exercise will identify the areas of the country where there is market failure in the provision of high speed broadband services. It will also identify where the market is expected to succeed and fail in the delivery of high speed broadband over the coming years. Until that process is complete, the precise areas of the country which will require State intervention will not be known. I would reiterate however, that the Government remains committed to the delivery of the speeds referred to above, to ensure that all parts of Ireland, including areas such as Fossa and Ballydesmond, will have at least 30Mbps connectivity.

My Department has already begun some of the necessary preparatory work, and the full mapping will commence as soon as the current spectrum auction being managed by ComReg is completed and final decisions are taken by the ComReg in respect of Next Generation Access regulation. It is necessary that both these processes are finalised before the mapping exercise begins, as they will critically inform the investment plans for telecommunications service providers over the coming years.

I have already emphasised to industry the importance of my Department securing full cooperation from all the commercial operators in completing this aspect of the Plan’s implementation.

As regards current broadband speeds, the Communications Regulator, ComReg, publishes on its website, , details of broadband packages available in all counties, including County Kerry. The Companies referred to by the Deputy may wish to access this information to ascertain if better broadband services than they currently have may be available to them.