Written answers

Wednesday, 24 October 2018

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

National Broadband Plan Administration

Photo of Seán SherlockSeán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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276. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he expects the national broadband plan to retain its current delivery trajectory once the contract is awarded. [44065/18]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The Government's National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access (minimum 30 megabits per second) to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location.  The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. Today, more than 7 out of 10 of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland have access to high speed broadband. The NBP will be achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention. The procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage with evaluation ongoing of the final tender received on 18 September. The Taoiseach has asked the independent process auditor to the NBP procurement to review the process. Mr. Smyth will submit a report to the Taoiseach and to me as Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment within three weeks from 17 October. This review will take place in parallel with the evaluation being carried out by the Department’s procurement team on the final tender for the NBP State led intervention.

As part of the commercial investment element of the NBP, in April 2017, my Department signed a Commitment Agreement with eir in relation to its plans to provide high speed broadband to 300,000 premises in rural areas. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department’s website www.dccae.gov.ie.

Data for Q2 2018 submitted by eir to my Department indicates that the company had passed some 175,000 premises nationwide as part of its ongoing deployment.

For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.

Under this Taskforce, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through the Broadband Officers is continuing to strengthen.  These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities.  The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements

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