Written answers

Thursday, 31 January 2013

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Telecommunications Services

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if in line with other European countries, Ireland’s telecommunication services including broadband and mobile telephony are updated and upgraded in terms of quality and extent throughout the country with particular reference to the need of the industrial and domestic sectors now and in the future in view of the existence of competition in the context of national recovery; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5024/13]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the most effective method of extending and upgrading broadband facilities with maximum benefit to the consumer and best value for money and the utilisation of wire, wireless, fibre optics or other systems including satellite; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5025/13]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 128 and 129 together.

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.

Considerable progress has been made in recent years in both the coverage and speeds of national broadband infrastructure, with a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. The Government has also undertaken a number of initiatives to bring broadband to those parts of the country where commercial operators have been unable to offer services. The combination of private investment and State interventions means that Ireland has met the EU Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe target of having a basic broadband service available to all areas by 2013.

The Government, through the National Broadband Plan, which I published on 30 August last year, has recognised that the key imperative now is to ensure high speed broadband availability to all. This is a challenge which faces all Member States who in turn experience different barriers to deployment. The National Broadband Plan commits to 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. Ireland is now moving to a new phase of public and private sector investment in broadband which will see significantly improved speeds delivered across the country.

As a consequence of the recent multi-band spectrum auction conducted by ComReg, new high speed 4G telecoms services will be rolled out by mobile operators and will significantly increase the speeds available across wireless platforms. In addition, the commercial sector is already making investments in high speed fixed line services, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas.

The National Broadband Plan commits the Government to investing in areas where high speed services are not commercially viable and will not be provided by the market. My Department is making preparations to commence a formal national mapping exercise to determine the exact position in relation to commercial service providers’ existing and planned broadband services throughout the country. This exercise will identify where the market is expected to succeed and fail in the delivery of high speed broadband over the coming years and will therefore inform the level of Government interaction that may be required and the areas that need to be targeted. It will also form a critical input to an EU State Aids application in respect of any State-led intervention. A range of technologies are possible in order to deliver the speeds set out in the National Broadband Plan and the technologies used may vary according to circumstances. This will ensure that citizens or businesses, wherever they are located, have a broadband connection which meets their needs to interact effectively with society and business in the digital environment.

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