Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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477. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will liaise with service providers to improve mobile telephone coverage in an area (details supplied). [30050/17]

Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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478. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will liaise with service providers to improve mobile telephone coverage in an area (details supplied). [30051/17]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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488. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he expects to see an improvement in the quality of mobile telephone services in all areas throughout the country without exception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30153/17]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 477, 478 and 488 together.

The provision of telecommunications services, including mobile phone services, is a matter for the service providers concerned which operate in a fully liberalised market regulated by the independent Regulator of the telecommunications sector, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). I do not have a statutory authority to require commercial companies to roll out services to particular locations. However, mobile operators have invested significantly in rolling out improved services following ComReg's multi-band spectrum auction in 2012. At least one operator now has in excess of 90% 4G population coverage. However, as mobile services are a radio-based technology, services can be affected by topography, quality of handsets and the capacity of the network, as well as by proximity to mobile telephone antennas.

Any customer across Ireland who experiences service difficulties, including in Abbeylara, County Longford and Ballymore, County Westmeath, should raise the matter with the service provider in the first instance. If this fails to resolve matters, customers can and should refer a complaint to ComReg, which will investigate the service provider's compliance with its contractual obligations.

Notwithstanding the statutory independence of ComReg, in recognition of the frustration currently being experienced across Ireland where telecommunications networks are not always delivering the services people expect, I specifically included in the programme for Government a commitment to a Mobile Phone and Broadband Task force. In July 2016. I established the Task Force together with Minister Humphreys to identify immediate solutions to broadband and mobile phone coverage deficits and investigate how better services could be provided to consumers, prior to the full build and roll-out of the network planned under the National Broadband Plan State intervention. The report of the Task Force was published in December and is available on both Departments' websites.

In producing this report, the Task Force worked with Departments, local authorities, ComReg, State agencies, the telecoms industry and other key stakeholders. The report contains 40 actions, each with their own timeframe for delivery, that will alleviate some of the telecommunications deficits across Ireland and the implementation programme on mobile phone and broadband access identifies 19 of these actions as areas where immediate and direct action by Departments and State agencies can ensure accelerated benefits to consumers.

An Implementation Group is driving and monitoring the implementation of the actions, bringing together all key stakeholders identified in the Task Force report with responsibility for delivery. This group will be formally reporting every 90 days on progress made on all actions. On 13 June, I published the first such quarterly progress report, which is available on my Department's website at and which shows that considerable progress has been made, particularly in relation to the implementation of actions identified for Q1 2017.

The work of the Task Force will also assist local authorities in preparing for the roll-out of the new NBP network once contracts are in place.

In addition, following regulations which I signed last year, ComReg recently announced the results of its auction for the 3.6GHz radio spectrum band, which means an 86% increase in spectrum capacity to meet the growing demand for mobile and wireless broadband services across rural and urban areas. The Regulator has awarded 15 year licences for the rights of use in this band which will provide a degree of stability and create future investment certainty. Spectrum was also awarded in lots covering 9 urban and rural regions across the country.

In my Department's Estimates for 2017, I have secured an €8 million provision for RTE to allow it to free up the 700 MHz spectrum band. ComReg in turn will make plans to allocate this spectrum to provide for significantly enhanced mobile coverage. The 700 MHz band is particularly suited to rural environments where the signal can travel long distances.

These initiatives should assist in enhancing the quality of mobile phone and data services across Ireland and particularly in rural Ireland.