Written answers

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Broadband Service Charges

Photo of Stephen DonnellyStephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent)
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114. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is satisfied that the wholesale pricing being offered by enet is sufficient to allow retail service providers to provide a service and a reasonable margin. [23148/15]

Photo of Alex WhiteAlex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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enet acts as the Management Services Entity (MSE) for the State-owned Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). The MANs consist of fibre rings around 88 towns across Ireland. The MANs are now used by over 60 licensed telecoms operators to provide services in those towns. It is estimated that in excess of 600,000 users are benefiting directly from services provided through the MANs. The MANs have also facilitated foreign direct investment in many of the towns concerned.

In addition to operating as MSE for the MANs, enet also has private, commercial interests outside of its MSE role. enet’s commercial dealings with telecommunications operators outside of its role as the MSE for the MANs are a private matter for the company.

In its capacity as MSE, enet is responsible for managing, maintaining, marketing and operating the MANs in a commercial manner on behalf of the State. It is required to operate the MANs on a wholesale, open access and carrier neutral basis. It makes services, including access to dark fibre, managed services, duct-only products and colocation facilities, available to licensed telecommunications operators. These services allow third party operators to avail of the MANs fibre to provide high speed telecommunications services to their end customers.

The maximum price that enet can charge for MANs services is agreed with my Department and this information is publically available on enet’s website. enet is required to treat all operators in an equal manner for equivalent services and they must charge customers the same price for similar type services. enet takes cognisance of market pricing trends in determining charges for MANs services, while respecting the maximum permitted prices for those services and the need to make a commercial return. The determination of prices to be applied to individual telecommunications operators is a day-to-day matter for enet. In turn, the prices charged by telecommunications operators who avail of the MANs is ultimately a matter for those operators.

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