Written answers

Tuesday, 26 January 2016

Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Broadband Service Provision

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

480. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if an area (details supplied) in County Donegal will receive broadband under the national broadband plan; the timeline for this; if not, if any private operators have indicated that they will provide broadband to this area and the timeline for this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2703/16]

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

The Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.

On the 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State Intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement commenced with the publication of the Project Information Memorandum and the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. In addition, my Department also published:

- the National Intervention Strategy – updated in December 2015, which takes account of responses to the public consultation which took place in July 2015 and subsequent expert analysis; and

- the High Speed Broadband Map 2020 which follows ongoing engagement with industry and public consultation.

The Intervention strategy sets out a detailed service specification including a requirement that the State-funded network must be capable of delivering high-quality, high speed broadband of at least 30mbps download and 6mbps upload. It must also be capable of catering for higher performance in the future so as to keep pace with consumer demand.

The 2020 map is available at . The map shows Ireland with two colours, BLUE and AMBER. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services by the end of 2016. The areas marked AMBER represent the target areas for the proposed State intervention and includes Umricam in the townland of Umrycam (Ed Mintiagha) County Donegal. Members of the public can see whether their individual premise is in the BLUE or AMBER area by inserting their Eircode, and/or address, or scrolling through the map.

The Government is determined to ensure that the network in the AMBER area is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award.

In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of addresses in Ireland will have access to high speed services by 2018, with all addresses passed by 2020.

More generally, I am informed by the commercial operators that next generation broadband services have been rolled out to over 21,000 premises to date in County Donegal with over 27,000 more expected to be serviced by commercial investment. Almost 52,000 remaining premises in County Donegal will be covered either by further commercial investment or the proposed State intervention.

Photo of Billy KelleherBilly Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

481. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the date for the roll-out of high speed broadband for Cloghroe, in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2863/16]

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

The Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.

On the 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State Intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement commenced with the publication of the Project Information Memorandum and the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. In addition, my Department also published:

- the National Intervention Strategy – updated in December 2015, which takes account of responses to the public consultation which took place in July 2015 and subsequent expert analysis; and

- the High Speed Broadband Map 2020 which follows ongoing engagement with industry and public consultation.

The Intervention strategy sets out a detailed service specification including a requirement that the State-funded network must be capable of delivering high-quality, high speed broadband of at least 30mbps download and 6mbps upload. It must also be capable of catering for higher performance in the future so as to keep pace with consumer demand.

The 2020 map is available at . The map shows Ireland with two colours, BLUE and AMBER. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services by the end of 2016. The areas marked AMBER represent the target areas for the proposed State intervention and includes the townland of Cloghroe, County Cork. Members of the public can see whether their individual premise is in the BLUE or AMBER area by inserting their Eircode, and/or address, or scrolling through the map.

The Government is determined to ensure that the network in the AMBER area is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award.

In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of addresses in Ireland will have access to high speed services by 2018, with all addresses passed by 2020.

More generally, I am informed by the commercial operators that next generation broadband services have been rolled out to over 126,000 premises to date in County Cork with over 55,000 more expected to be serviced by commercial investment. Almost 86,000 remaining premises in County Cork will be covered either by further commercial investment or the proposed State intervention.

Photo of Billy TimminsBilly Timmins (Wicklow, Renua Ireland)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

482. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his plans in relation to broadband in the Kilmurray and Arklow area of County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2872/16]

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

The Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP) 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. These very significant investments represent a step change in the quality of broadband services available.

On the 22 December 2015, I formally launched the procurement process for the State Intervention to provide high quality, high speed broadband to all premises in Ireland that may not be served through commercial investment. The formal procurement commenced with the publication of the Project Information Memorandum and the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. In addition, my Department also published:

- the National Intervention Strategy – updated in December 2015, which takes account of responses to the public consultation which took place in July 2015 and subsequent expert analysis; and

- the High Speed Broadband Map 2020 which follows ongoing engagement with industry and public consultation.

The Intervention strategy sets out a detailed service specification including a requirement that the State-funded network must be capable of delivering high-quality, high speed broadband of at least 30mbps download and 6mbps upload. It must also be capable of catering for higher performance in the future so as to keep pace with consumer demand.

The 2020 map is available at . The map shows Ireland with two colours, BLUE and AMBER.

The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services by the end of 2016 and includes Arklow. Where parts of the town or its environs are not covered by commercial high speed services, these will be the target for the State intervention.

The areas marked AMBER represent the target areas for the proposed State intervention and includes the townlands of Kilmurry Upper, Kilmurry Lower, and Kilmurry Middle County Wicklow. Members of the public can see whether their individual premise is in the BLUE or AMBER area by inserting their Eircode, and/ or address, or scrolling through the map.

The Government is determined to ensure that the network in the AMBER area is built out as quickly as possible and engagement with industry stakeholders has indicated that this could be achieved within 3-5 years of the contract award.

In this context, the NBP proposes that through the combination of commercial investment and State intervention, 85% of addresses in Ireland will have access to high speed services by 2018, with all addresses passed by 2020.

More generally, I am informed by the commercial operators that next generation broadband services have been rolled out to over 33,000 premises to date in County Wicklow with over 12,000 more expected to be serviced by commercial investment. Almost 17,000 remaining premises in County Wicklow will be covered either by further commercial investment or the proposed State intervention.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.