Written answers

Thursday, 24 January 2019

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Broadband Service Provision

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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47. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding progress in the provision of high speed, high quality broadband in all areas nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3379/19]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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48. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress to date with the approval of the national broadband scheme; when it is likely a contract will be awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3146/19]

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the progress made to date in the roll out of rural broadband by a company (details supplied) which is subject to a contract with his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3147/19]

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 47, 48 and 54 together.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) aims to ensure high speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. This is being achieved via a combination of commercial investment and a State led intervention.

The NBP has been a catalyst in encouraging investment by the telecoms sector. In 2012, less than 700,000, or 30% of all 2.3 million Irish premises had access to high speed broadband. When this Government came into office, this had risen to 52%. Today, 74% of premises can access high speed broadband.

In April 2017 my Department published an updated version of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map. This is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area under the National Broadband Plan. The Map is colour coded and searchable by address/Eircode:

- The AMBER area represents the parts of the country where commercial operators have no plans to build high speed broadband networks. Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high Speed Broadband through a State Intervention.

- The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.

- The LIGHT BLUE area represents eir's commercial rural deployment plans to rollout high speed broadband to 300,000 premises as part of a Commitment Agreement signed with my Department in April 2017.

Information on categories of specific premises can be accessed on my Department’s website, www.broadband.gov.ie, by entering the relevant Eircode into the High Speed Broadband Map. For those premises which fall within eir's commercial deployment to 300,000 premises further detail is provided on that company’s website, www.fibrerollout.ie.

Under a Commitment Agreement signed with my Department in April 2017, eir is in the process of passing 300,000 predominantly rural homes with high speed broadband. According to information submitted by eir to my Department, as of Quarter 4 2018 the company has passed some 225,000 premises nationwide as part of its ongoing deployment. This is in the process of verification by officials in my Department.

The procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage. My priority is to bring the procurement process to a fair and impartial conclusion as quickly as possible and I will bring a recommendation to Government in this regard in the coming weeks.

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. 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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