Written answers

Tuesday, 17 June 2014

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Broadband Services Provision

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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414. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which improvements in quality and speed of broadband is envisaged over the next two years with particular reference to the need to meet the requirements of customers as matter of urgency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25289/14]

Photo of Billy KelleherBilly Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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419. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources when broadband will be available throughout the Ashmount Estates at Silversprings, Tivoli, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25582/14]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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424. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the assistance that can be given in the case of a company (details supplied) in County Kildare which is experiencing serious issues with the quality of broadband in the area which is having a negative effect on its business and which may result in potential job losses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25876/14]

Photo of Pat RabbittePat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 414, 419 and 424 together.

Since market liberalisation in 1999, the provision of telecommunications services, including broadband services are delivered in the first instance through private sector operators who operate in a fully liberalised market, regulated by the independent regulator, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). The market has 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 Counties Cork and Kildare can be found on a number of websites, including the websites of individual commercial operators.

The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August 2012, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed broadband is available to all citizens and businesses. This will be achieved by providing:

- a policy and regulatory framework that assists in accelerating and incentivising commercial investment; and

- a State-led intervention for areas where it is not commercial for the market to invest.

Since publication of the Plan, investments by the commercial sector are underway and in some instances have been accelerated in both fixed line and wireless high speed broadband services. Commercial operators combined have either invested, or committed to invest, over €2 billion in their Irish networks, delivering high speed broadband to homes and businesses.

As a result of this accelerated investment the addressable area required by the State-led intervention has been reduced by 30% since the National Broadband Plan was launched. While the commercial developments are welcome the acceleration of investment is largely contained to cities and towns. Consequently, the speeds that are available in these areas are demonstrably better than those that are available in more rural areas.

On 25 April last, I signalled the Government's commitment to a major telecommunications network build-out to rural Ireland, with fibre as the foundation of its investment, as part of the State-led intervention under the National Broadband Plan. This commitment is a clear expression of Government’s determination to address the connectivity challenge in rural Ireland in a meaningful and sustainable way.

Central to the strategy will be a fibre build-out to locations in every county in the State identified as having no existing or planned enabling fibre network. It is intended that the fibre will be delivered directly to access points for homes and businesses, where service providers can utilise the fibre to provide high speed services to end users. The fibre build out will be part of an end-to-end strategy that will address all parts of Ireland that cannot access commercial high speed broadband services.

A comprehensive mapping exercise is underway in my Department which will identify those areas that will require a State intervention. I have published a county-by-county list of towns and villages which have already been identified for a fibre build-out. This list is available on my Department's website, . Currently, a total of 108 areas in County Cork and 18 areas in County Kildare have been identified as requiring an intervention. This is an indicative list and is subject to the completion of the mapping exercise. Further locations may be identified as this process continues. Similarly, it may be determined that some locations on the list will be addressed by the commercial sector and will therefore not require State intervention. I expect that this mapping exercise will be concluded in the autumn.

I would point out that the EU Commission’s guidelines on State aid for high speed broadband infrastructure preclude Member States from intervening in regions in which private investors have demonstrated plans to roll out their own infrastructure within the following three years. In this regard, I understand that at least one network operator has published a programme to roll out 103 fibre-based broadband networks in County Cork and 39 such networks in County Kildare, including in the area of Maynooth by July 2016.

In tandem with the completion of the mapping exercise, intensive design and planning work is ongoing in my Department with a view to producing a detailed end to end implementation strategy for the State led intervention. It is my intention to conduct a full public consultation on the outcome of the mapping process and the proposed implementation strategy. EU State aid clearance will also be required for the intervention once finalised. This will be followed by a detailed procurement process with a view to commencing construction of the fibre network and provision of services in identified areas as quickly as possible.

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