John Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress being made on the national broadband plan; the extent of its impact in rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4735/13]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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. 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.

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 intervention. The key is to ensure that all businesses and citizens, wherever they are located, have a broadband connection which meets their needs to interact effectively with society and business in a digital environment.

The Plan also sets out a number of additional actions concerning demand stimulation, spectrum policy, the removal of barriers to infrastructure rollout and maximising the use of State assets. Progress on the rollout of the Plan is being overseen by a High Level Group, which is chaired by my Department and comprises representatives from Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, OPW, NewERA, ComReg and Forfás.