Written answers
Wednesday, 13 July 2016
Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
National Broadband Plan Data
Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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264. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the number of premises forecasted to be covered by the national broadband plan and by commercial high-speed broadband services, by county, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21466/16]
Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority. This is being achieved through private investment by commercial telecommunications companies and through a State intervention in areas where commercial investment is not forthcoming.
The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available atwww.broadband.gov.ieshows the extent of the State Intervention area, which is the subject of procurement. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services. The Department continues to monitor the commercial deployment plans in the BLUE area to ensure that those services are delivered.
The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention.
The map provides information on a county by county basis with a breakdown of coverage across the townlands in every county. Individuals can check whether their premises is in a BLUE or an AMBER area by scrolling through the map online or entering their Eircode. The Department also has a dedicated mailbox and anyone with a query in relation to the Map should email the Department, quoting their Eircode, to broadband@dcenr.gov.ie.
The county breakdown for the National Broadband Plan Intervention is set out in the following table, with the percentage of premises to be covered by the Intervention and through commercial investment also listed.
| County Name | Total Number of County Townlands* | Number of Premises Covered by National Broadband Plan Intervention | % Premises within the NBP Intervention Area | Number of Premised covered/planned by commercial operators | % Premises within Commercial Operator’s Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow | 560 | 10,555 | 39% | 16,851 | 61% |
| Cavan | 1,979 | 24,197 | 57% | 18,175 | 43% |
| Clare | 2,225 | 34,501 | 51% | 33,657 | 49% |
| Cork | 5,336 | 85,972 | 32% | 181,782 | 68% |
| Donegal | 2,644 | 52,004 | 52% | 48,514 | 48% |
| Dublin | 888 | 8,295 | 1% | 572,053 | 99% |
| Galway | 4,086 | 62,540 | 47% | 71,275 | 53% |
| Kerry | 2,679 | 51,180 | 57% | 38,824 | 43% |
| Kildare | 1,210 | 20,536 | 23% | 67,791 | 77% |
| Kilkenny | 1,576 | 22,455 | 47% | 25,317 | 53% |
| Laois | 1,111 | 16,201 | 42% | 22,560 | 58% |
| Leitrim | 1,486 | 13,326 | 60% | 8,990 | 40% |
| Limerick | 1,923 | 33,963 | 35% | 63,698 | 65% |
| Longford | 886 | 11,691 | 52% | 10,891 | 48% |
| Louth | 678 | 15,129 | 25% | 45,015 | 75% |
| Mayo | 3,215 | 50,831 | 60% | 33,336 | 40% |
| Meath | 1,601 | 31,171 | 38% | 51,384 | 62% |
| Monaghan | 1,849 | 19,551 | 58% | 13,914 | 42% |
| Offaly | 1,144 | 17,130 | 47% | 19,587 | 53% |
| Roscommon | 2,046 | 24,856 | 64% | 14,269 | 36% |
| Sligo | 1,269 | 18,605 | 47% | 21,281 | 53% |
| Tipperary | 3,167 | 41,207 | 49% | 43,368 | 51% |
| Waterford | 1,572 | 17,897 | 29% | 43,098 | 71% |
| Westmeath | 1,346 | 17,814 | 40% | 26,563 | 60% |
| Wexford | 2,301 | 39,308 | 49% | 40,202 | 51% |
| Wicklow | 1,359 | 16,574 | 26% | 46,250 | 74% |
| Totals: | 50,136 | 757,489 | 32% | 1,578,645 | 68% |
Over 750,000 premises are the focus for the procurement process, which formally commenced in December 2015 with the publication of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire ( 'PQQ') and Project Information Memorandum. On 5 July 2016, I announced that my Department has also identified a further 170,000 premises which are currently market BLUE on the High Speed Broadband Map and which are unlikely to get access to services. My Department is currently in the process of identifying these additional premises with a view to including them in the formal procurement process. This will in turn require an adjustment to the figures per county for the BLUE and AMBER areas of the High Speed Broadband Map.
On 5 July I also announced that the Department has now moved to the next stage in the procurement process. In this Invitation to Participate in Dialogue (ITPD) phase, three qualifying bidders have been invited to meet with the Department to commence the formal dialogue process. The qualifying bidders will shortly be furnished with a draft contract, with detailed specifications for a qualify and affordable high speed broadband network.
Following the ITPD stage, which will take a number of months, the Department will issue final tender documentation to bidders. When final tenders have been submitted a winning bidder(s) will be selected for the contract which will comprise one or two lots as set out in the NBP Intervention Strategy. The Department will then enter into formal contract negotiations with the winning bidder(s), prior to awarding a contract(s). As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best roll-out strategy, in order to target areas of particularly poor service, business needs and / or high demand. This will need to be balanced with the most efficient network roll-out plan. A prioritisation programme will be put in place in this regard, in consultation with the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. A detailed roll-out plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.
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