Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

106. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the efforts he is making to ensure that customers of the national broadband scheme in an area (details supplied) in County Mayo receive an adequate service; the efforts he is making to ensure that they receive a value for money product; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19730/14]

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

The broadband service contracted under National Broadband Scheme (NBS) is a basic, affordable service in keeping with EU State Aid clearance for the Scheme. Under the terms of the contract which my Department has in place with "3", the NBS service provider, the NBS mobile wireless service is required to offer minimum download and upload speeds of 2.3 Mbps and 1.4 Mbps, respectively, subject to a maximum contention ratio of 18:1. The NBS satellite service, which is utilised in a small number of cases for technical reasons associated with the location of the premises, offers minimum download and upload speeds of 3.6 Mbps and 384 kbps respectively, subject to a maximum contention ratio of 48:1.The Deputy refers to the data allowance which applies in the case of the NBS satellite service. The allowance is 11 GB over a 28 day rolling period with night time traffic, between the hours of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. GMT, calculated at 50% of actual usage. Where customers require additional data, this can be purchased at a cost of €5.00/GB. The difference in the data allowance between the NBS satellite and wireless broadband service reflects the different technology utilised and the greater limitation on the availability of capacity in the case of satellite broadband. The data allowance provided by the NBS satellite service compares favourably with the data allowances offered on other basic satellite broadband packages.

As regards service quality, my Department has well-established monitoring arrangements in place to ensure that the NBS delivers the minimum specified service or better to all users. The NBS contract guarantees service levels and imposes a service credit regime on "3", with significant financial consequences in the event that minimum specification service levels are not met. The NBS contract also provides that where NBS customers do not receive the minimum guaranteed service, as set out in the terms and conditions of their contract, they are entitled to service rebates.

My Department has a role where customers, after fully utilising the established complaints process with "3", consider that their service issues have not been resolved. My officials operate a dedicated NBS mailbox, which NBS customers can contact by email at , with any comments or complaints they may have about their NBS service. My Department will then liaise with "3" personnel at its Head Office in Dublin to ensure that any service performance issues, which are brought to its attention, are addressed as quickly as possible.