Written answers

Thursday, 18 April 2013

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Broadband Services Provision

Photo of Michael Healy-RaeMichael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views regarding fibre optic broadband (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18216/13]

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

Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. Details of broadband services available in each County, including County Kerry, can be found on ComReg’s website at www.callcosts.ie.

The State can only intervene to ensure access to broadband services in areas where the competitive market has failed to deliver such services, as in the case of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) and the Rural Broadband Scheme. NBS services are available within 85 of the 166 Electoral Divisions in County Kerry, including the general area of Waterville. I have attached a list of these Electoral Divisions.

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 Ireland’s National Broadband Plan, the commercial market operators indicated that they expect to provide 70Mbps to 100Mbps services to 50% of the population by 2015. Since the publication of the Plan, investments by the commercial sector are underway in both fixed line and mobile high speed broadband services, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas.

The Government is also committed in the Plan to investing in areas where high speed services are not commercially viable and will not be provided by the market. In an important milestone towards delivery of this commitment in the Plan, my Department has identified, following the evaluation of tender responses to a request for experts, the preferred bidder to assist in the design, planning and procurement of the State-led investment. Intensive technical, financial and legal preparations including stakeholder engagement will be ongoing throughout 2013 with a view to the launch of a procurement process in 2014. High-speed broadband services can be delivered by a diverse range of technology platforms and it is intended to adopt a technology-neutral approach in this procurement process.

Through the implementation of the National Broadband Plan, we are committed to increasing the availability of next generation speeds significantly, with a view to ensuring that all citizens and businesses can participate fully in a digitally enabled society. I would reiterate that the Government remains committed to ensuring that all parts of Ireland, including all of County Kerry, will have at least 30Mbps connectivity, through public or private sector investment, as outlined in the National Broadband Plan.

Electoral Divisions (ED) Covered by the NBS in County Kerry

ED Name ED Reference No.
AGHADOEED 77002
ARDEAED 77006
BAHAGHSED 77009
BALLINSKELLIGS ED 77011
BALLYBRACKED 77013
BALLYDUFF ED 77016
BANAWN ED 77026
BOOLTEENSED 77031
BRANDON ED 77032
BREWSTERFIELD ED 77033
BROSNA ED 77034
CANUIG ED 77037
CAPPAGHED 77038
CARKER ED 77039
CARRAGH ED 77040
CASTLEGREGORYED 77043
CHURCHTOWN ED 77047
CLOGHANEED 77048
CLOON ED 77050
CLOONTUBBRID ED 77051
CLYDAGH ED 77052
COOLIESED 77053
COOM ED 77054
CORDALED 77055
CRINNYED 77056
CURRAGHBEGED 77057
CURRAGHMORE ED 77058
DARRYNANE ED 77060
DAWROS ED 77061
DEELIS ED 77062
DERREEN ED 77063
DERRIANA ED 77064
DOOCARRIG ED 77066
DROMMARTINED 77069
DROMORE ED 77070
DUAGH ED 77071
DUNQUIN ED 77073
DUNURLINED 77074
EMLAGHED 77075
FLESK ED 77077
GLANBEHY ED 77078
GLANLEE ED 77079
GLANLOUGH ED 77080
GLANMORE ED 77081
GLIN ED 77082
GNEEVES ED 77083

ED Name ED Reference No.
GREENANE ED 77084
HEADFORT ED 77087
INCH ED 77088
KERRYHEAD ED 77090
KILCUMMIN ED 77092
KILFEIGHNY ED 77093
KILFLYN ED 77095
KILGARRYLANDER ED 77096
KILGARVAN ED 77097
KILGOBBANED 77098
KILLINANE ED 77105
KILMALKEDAR ED 77108
KILMEANY ED 77109
KILMURRY ED 77110
KILNANAREED 77111
KILQUANE ED 77112
KILSHENANE ED 77113
KNOCKNAGASHEL ED 77118
KNOCKNAHOEED 77119
LACK ED 77120
LACKABAUN ED 77121
LICKEEN ED 77124
LOUGHBRIN ED 77130
LOUGHCURRANE ED 77131
MARHIN ED 77132
MASTERGEEHY ED 77133
MAUM ED 77134
MILLBROOK ED 77135
MOUNT EAGLE ED 77139
NEWTOWNSANDESED 77142
NOHAVAL ED 77143
RATHEA ED 77147
RATHMORE ED 77148
ROCKFIELD ED 77150
ST FINAN'S ED 77154
TAHILLA ED 77156
TEERANEARAGH ED 77159
TRIENEARAGH ED 77162
VENTRY ED 77166

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.