Written answers

Tuesday, 16 June 2015

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Broadband Service Provision

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

118. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the timeline for the roll out of high speed broadband to rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22964/15]

Photo of Alex WhiteAlex White (Dublin South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided.

The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services with approximately 1.6 million of the 2.3 million addresses in Ireland expected to have access to commercial high speed broadband services over the next two years. These very significant investments represent a step-change in the quality of broadband services available.

Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at . The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016.

The AMBER area shows the target areas for the State intervention. All premises within the AMBER areas will be included in the State's intervention. eircom recently announced an investment that may address a further 300,000 premises with fibre-to-the-premises technology by 2020. My Department will be rigorously examining the assurances from eircom in relation to these new plans, which is a requirement for all operators, and will review how this impacts the proposed intervention area.

Intensive design and planning work is underway in my Department to produce a detailed intervention strategy for the AMBER area. Following a public consultation process on the draft Intervention Strategy this summer, I hope to move to formal procurement phase towards the end of this year in order to select a preferred bidder or bidders.

I expect the physical build of the network to begin in late 2016, and it will take 3-5 years to fully complete – depending on the details of the bid or bids selected.

This complex and ambitious project is a key priority for Government and aims to conclusively address current broadband connectivity issues in mainly rural parts of the country.

Photo of Charlie McConalogueCharlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

119. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide a progress update regarding the Government's commitment to provide fibre broadband to every house and business in County Donegal; the deadline for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23128/15]

Photo of Alex WhiteAlex White (Dublin South, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided.The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services with approximately 1.6 million of the 2.3 million addresses in Ireland expected to have access to commercial high speed broadband services over the next two years. These very significant investments represent a step-change in the quality of broadband services available.

Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at . The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016.

The AMBER area shows the target areas for the State intervention. All premises within the AMBER areas will be included in the State's intervention. Eircom recently announced an investment that may address a further 300,000 addresses with fibre-to-the-premises technology including locations in Donegal. My Department will be rigorously examining the assurances from eircom in relation to these new plans, which is a requirement for all operators, and will review how this impacts the proposed intervention area.

More generally I can confirm that next generation broadband services have been rolled out to 21,238 premises to date in Co Donegal with a further 27,276 expected to be served over the next 18 months. The remaining 52,004 premises in Co Donegal will be covered be the target for the proposed State intervention under the National Broadband Plan, subject to examination of any further commercial development plans in the area.

Intensive design and planning work is underway in my Department to produce a detailed intervention strategy for the AMBER area. In order to comply with EU State Aid Guidelines we must not favour one technology over another. Therefore, in accordance with EU State Aid guidelines, the procurement process for the State led intervention will be technology neutral.

Following a public consultation process on the draft Intervention Strategy this summer, I hope to move to the formal procurement phase towards the end of this year in order to select a preferred bidder or bidders.

I expect the physical build of the network to begin in late 2016, and it will take between three and five years to fully complete – depending on the details of the bid or bids selected.

This complex and ambitious project is a key priority for Government and aims to conclusively address current broadband connectivity issues in mainly rural parts of the country.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.