Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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432. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there are plans to designate the blue areas, commercial providers, identified in the high speed broadband map into the amber areas, State intervention, to ensure that all parts of the country can benefit from similar speeds in view of the fact that fibre to the home has been identified as the preferable technology for the roll-out of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38681/16]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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433. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the details of the 170,000 premises which were added to the amber area of the high-speed broadband map in July 2016; the way in which this figure was arrived at; the details regarding the premises including locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38682/16]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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434. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the precise number of premises expected to be covered under the national broadband plan; the criteria used to determine which areas are designated blue or amber in the high-speed broadband map; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38683/16]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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436. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he is satisfied that, taking into consideration the revisions of July 2016, there will be no further changes to the designated blue and amber areas in the high-speed broadband map; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38685/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 432 to 434, inclusive, and 436 together.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to deliver high speed broadband services to every city, town, village and individual premises in Ireland. The Programme for Government commits to the delivery of the NBP as a matter of priority. This is being achieved through a combination of commercial investment by the telecommunications sector and a State intervention in those areas where commercial investment has not been fully demonstrated.  The State Intervention is being managed in accordance with EU state aid rules.

A key principle of the NBP is to support and stimulate commercial investment through policy and regulatory measures. Commercial investment since the publication of the NBP has considerably exceeded expectations. Over the past 5 years, the commercial telecommunications sector has invested over €2.5bn in upgrading and modernising networks which support the provision of high speed broadband and mobile telecoms services.

It is estimated that up to 70% of premises in Ireland will have access to  commercial high speed broadband services provided by telecommunications operators, while the  remaining 30%, consisting of over 750,00 premises, 100,000 km of road network and 96% of the land area of Ireland,  will fall within the proposed State led intervention under the National Broadband Plan. Currently, approximately 1.4m premises in Ireland can get high speed broadband from commercial service providers. 

The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ieshows the extent of the State Intervention area:

- The areas marked BLUE represent those areas where commercial telecommunications providers are either currently delivering or have previously indicated plans to deliver high speed broadband services.

- The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention.

There are around 1.6 million premises in the BLUE area of which approximately 1.4 million premises in Ireland can now get high speed broadband.  My Department is actively monitoring the deployment in the BLUE areas.

On 5 July, I announced that my Department identified that up to an additional 170,000 premises which are currently marked BLUE on the High Speed Broadband Map are unlikely to get access to services. My Department is conducting further analysis with a view to identifying and locking down the Map for the remainder of the procurement process. This work will conclude shortly and will be reflected in a further update to the High Speed Broadband Map.

Direct feedback from consumers continues to be important and if customers cannot access high speed broadband services, I would encourage them to contact my Department directly at broadband@dccae.gov.ie, quoting their address and Eircode and giving details of providers they have contacted with a view to obtaining services. 

My Department is now in a formal procurement process to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area.

The procurement process for the State Intervention aims to identify an entity or entities to build, roll out, operate and deliver high speed broadband of at least 30 Mbps upload and 6 Mbps download speeds to all premises within the intervention area.

The three bidders in the procurement process have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution under the State Intervention meaning that much higher broadband speeds are possible. In cases where fibre is not viable, the bidders might opt for alternative technologies.

In parallel with the procurement, and in accordance with commitments in the Programme for Government, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of two regional action groups to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.

In July, I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce with Minister Humphreys to address immediate issues in relation to the quality of mobile phone and broadband coverage. I expect the Taskforce to report by end 2016.

I recently signed Regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with an early 2017 auction of the 3.6 GHz radio spectrum band, to provide an 86% increase in total spectrum available for mobile and fixed wireless services.

I have also secured €8m for RTE which will allow it to free up the 700MHz spectrum band, to provide enhanced mobile services.

Together, these initiatives should assist in significantly improving the quality of broadband and mobile phone services across Ireland, putting Ireland to the forefront internationally in terms of connectivity.