Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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601. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his proposals to apply a universal service obligation on broadband telecommunications providers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14979/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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In accordance with the EU Electronic Communications Regulatory framework the telecommunications networks and services occurs within a fully liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). The  framework allows national regulatory authorities to intervene in the competitive market to ensure at least one telecommunications services provider meets all reasonable requests from the public for basic telephony services, including voice telephony, fax and basic internet access, as  EU universal public access rights. In Ireland, this obligation is currently assigned to eir.

Imposing a USO for high speed broadband services funded by a levy on industry could be challenging under the current EU regulatory framework. My Department is however in discussion with ComReg as to whether USO may be a viable instrument in certain instances, and has raised the matter at EU level ahead of a major review of the EU Electronic Communications Regulatory Framework.