Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1486. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his 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; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1020/17]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1487. 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; if he will provide supporting details regarding the premises, including locations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1021/17]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1488. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the 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. [1022/17]

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1490. 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. [1024/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1486 to 1488, inclusive, and 1490 together.

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.

EU State Aid Guidelines requires Member States to assess the plans of telecoms operators, so that the State only intervenes in areas where plans for commercial investment are not forthcoming.

In October 2015 the Department published the process it proposed to adopt in order to assess commercial high speed broadband investment plans available at mapping assessment criteria. Plans received from commercial operators were subsequently assessed under technical, deployment and financial criteria, in line with the EU State Aid requirements. This resulted in the publication of the High Speed Broadband Map in December 2015.

The Map is a critical aspect of EU State Aid compliance and the mapping process remains open, in accordance with terms that have been published on the Department's website (www.broadband.gov.ie) so as to ensure that existing plans are realised and that any new developments can be managed.

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. To date, 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.

Currently, approximately 1.4m premises in Ireland can access high speed broadband of at least 30 Megabits per second from commercial service providers and investment by the telecoms sector is continuing to expand this footprint.

A formal procurement process is now in train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area. Intensive dialogue with bidders is continuing and the three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. This provides a future proofed solution for the  25 years of the contract and beyond. A fibre-to-the-home solution means that householders and businesses may get speeds not just of 30 Megabits per second but much higher, potentially up to 1000 Megabits per second. The procurement process is being intensively managed, to ensure an outcome that delivers a future-proofed network that serves homes and businesses across Ireland, for at least 25 years. 

The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie shows the current 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 of at least 30 Megabits per second.

- The areas marked AMBER on the High Speed Broadband Map represent the target areas for the State Intervention, which are the subject of the current procurement process. It is intended that premises within this area will have access to services of at least 30 megabits per second when the procurement process is completed and the network rolled out. 

The Department is actively monitoring the commercial deployment plans in the BLUE areas to ensure that all premises can get access to services. In this regard, direct feedback from consumers is important and if customers in these areas 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. 

The Department will also shortly update the High Speed Broadband map and finalise this intervention area for bidders, taking into account industry investments that have not materialised and potential other new investments.

Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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1489. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the estimated costs which will be incurred for utilising the existing infrastructure of national networks to roll out fibre to the home; the body which will fund any costs associated with upgrading this infrastructure to enable fibre to the home; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1023/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) represents a very significant capital investment project for the State and aims to deliver high speed 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.

In July last the Government selected the Commercial Stimulus Model as the optimum ownership model for the network that will be part-funded by the Exchequer. My Department has completed detailed costings, down to every individual premises in the Intervention Area and, on that basis, has modelled the likely cost of various technologies and ownership models. It is expected that existing infrastructure will be used as far as possible to deliver the new network, thus reducing build costs. It would not be appropriate to publish the expected costs or the likely cost to the State while a major public procurement process is underway. I do not intend therefore to indicate the overall estimated Exchequer funding parameters. Ultimately, the costs will depend on the price that bidder(s) quote in the tender process.

On 29 September 2015, the Government's 6 year Capital Plan, Building on Recovery, was published. It includes an allocation of €275m for the National Broadband Plan (NBP). This allocation provides the initial stimulus required to deliver the Government's intervention and it is expected that further funding will be available over the lifetime of any contract(s).

A formal procurement process is now in train to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network within the State Intervention Area. The Department will also shortly update the High Speed Broadband map and finalise this Intervention Area for bidders, taking into account any industry investments that have not materialised and potential other new investments.

The procurement process is being intensively managed, to ensure an outcome that delivers a future-proofed network that serves homes and businesses across Ireland, for at least 25 years. Intensive dialogue with bidders is continuing and the three bidders have indicated that they are proposing a predominantly fibre-to-the-home solution. This provides for a future proofed solution for the  25 years of the contract and beyond. A fibre-to-the-home solution means that householders and businesses may get speeds not just of 30 Megabits per second but much higher, potentially up to 1000 Megabits per second.  

As part of the competitive process, the Department will engage with winning bidder(s) on the best rollout 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 rollout 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 rollout plan for the network will be published once contract(s) are in place.

The Programme for Government also commits to measures to assist in the rollout of the network once a contract is awarded. In this regard, Minister Humphreys is leading on the establishment of two regional action groups, working with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Offices and other relevant agencies to help accelerate the broadband network build in rural Ireland, once a contract(s) has been awarded.

In a further positive initiative, last July, I established a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce with my colleague Minister Humphreys to address immediate issues in relation to the quality of mobile phone and broadband coverage. The Taskforce report is available at the following link: www.dccae.gov.ie/communications/en-ie/Pages/Publication/Report-of-the-Mobile-Phone-and-Broadband-Taskforce.aspx.

I recently signed Regulations allowing ComReg to proceed with an early 2017 auction of the 3.6GHz 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.  

These investments should assist in significantly improving the coverage and quality of broadband and mobile voice and data services throughout the country.