Written answers

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Broadband Services

Photo of Terence FlanaganTerence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the plans to upgrade the broadband network in Howth, County Dublin, in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1432/13]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Broadband connectivity, as an enabling infrastructure for economic and social development, is a critical element of future sustainable economic growth and a priority for Government. In terms of telecommunications policy, my Department plays a key role in providing a supportive legislative and regulatory environment within which competition can flourish and private sector investment can take place.

The provision of electronic communications services is, in the first instance, a matter for private sector service providers operating in Ireland’s fully liberalised telecommunications market, regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Broadband services are provided by a number of private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e. over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and satellite.

With basic broadband services widely available across Ireland, the focus is now on accelerating the roll out of high speed services. The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August last, 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. 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 commitments in the National Broadband Plan 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. 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, subject to EU State aid rules, 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 Howth, County Dublin, will have at least 30Mbps connectivity.

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