Written answers

Wednesday, 5 December 2012

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Broadband Services

Photo of Tom HayesTom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources in respect of the 100Mb/sec broadband programme for all post primary schools nationwide launched in May 2009, the timeframe for the next stage of the programme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54623/12]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Following the completion of the initial pilot phase of this project, a total of 78 post primary schools were provided with 100Mbps broadband. I announced in February 2012 the full rollout of 100Mbps to all second level schools in Ireland, to be completed over a 3 year period. 202 post primary schools were selected this year for the first phase of the national rollout. Of these, 195 schools have been fully completed to date and already are using their enhanced broadband. The remaining schools could not be connected because of building and renovation work in each school. As soon as these works are completed the schools in question will be connected. I hope to be in a position shortly to announce details of a further 200 schools to be connected during 2013 with the remaining 250 schools being connected in 2014, after which all second level schools in Ireland will have a high speed broadband connection.

Photo of Brendan GriffinBrendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will review the broadband service being provided under the national broadband scheme (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54712/12]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I wish to advise that my Department’s officials have been engaged in ongoing contact with “3”, the National Broadband Scheme (“NBS”) service provider since it was made aware of recent service performance problems being experienced by some NBS customers in County Kerry. I understand that these NBS customers in the Ballydavid area experienced intermittent service loss and degradation of service over a protracted length of time. “3” have advised my officials that service problems arose last month on two sites, at Ballydavid and Ventry and that these problems have been rectified with the sites being fully operational since 27th November last. “3” continue to monitor these sites very closely. Throughout the period, those customers whose service was affected were advised of the position via text message from 3’s customer care centre.

The contract which my Department has in place with “3” provides for the monitoring of service availability. It provides for the payment of service performance rebates where service performance does not meet the minimum specified service levels and where service restoration is delayed beyond the target 5 working days. My Department operates a dedicated mailbox, , which NBS customers can contact with relevant details where they consider that their service performance issues have not been resolved to their satisfaction by 3’s customer care centre. I wish to advise the Deputy that service rebates will be applied to the accounts of all those customers whose service has been affected by these site outages.

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views on the unavailability of broadband in the Newtowncashel, County Longford. [54713/12]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Since market liberalisation in 1999, broadband services are delivered in the first instance through private sector operators. The State only becomes involved in the provision of services in instances of clear market failure. The National Broadband Scheme (NBS) and the more recent Rural Broadband Scheme (RBS) are examples of such interventions.

Prior to the launch of the NBS my Department had a full national mapping exercise carried out to determine precisely where the gaps in service provision existed. As a result Newtowncashel was one of the areas in the country that was excluded from the scheme as it was deemed to be already served by at least one private operator. Under the RBS my Department received a total of 81 applications from County Longford with a total of 17 applicants taking up an offer of service from one of the commercial operators participating in the scheme.

The recently published National Broadband Plan (NBP) commits industry and the Government to rolling out high speed broadband throughout the country in the next few years. The plan contains specific and ambitious targets, most of which are expected to be delivered by the private sector. The Government is committed to ensuring that high speed broadband will also be available in rural areas which might not be deemed commercially viable by the private sector to invest in. My Department expects to commence a national mapping exercise in early 2013 aimed at identifying precisely the areas of the country that the private sector will invest in and those rural parts that will require State intervention to ensure that our NBP and Digital Agenda for Europe targets are fully met.

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