Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1040. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment further to his comments on 19 February 2019, if he has met with companies (details supplied) to discuss the impact of commercial roll-outs on the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13740/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I welcome recent announcements of further commercial investment in high speed broadband infrastructure by telecommunications operators. While I have not had direct engagement with either company, officials from my Department have met with representatives of these operators and have received high level presentations from both with regard to their commercial deployment plans.

The National Broadband Plan is designed to encourage investment in high speed broadband networks, so that as many premises as possible are addressed by commercial operators. To date almost 74% of the premises in Ireland are now covered by high speed broadband and this is expected to rise to 77% before the end of this year and these new investment announcements (along with other recent operator announcements) are further evidence of the willingness of industry to continue to invest and improve services to citizens across the country.

While both operators have indicated a willingness to keep the Department appraised of their rollouts as their plans develop over the coming years, they have indicated that they do not anticipate making a formal submission seeking a change to the NBP High speed broadband map. To date, neither operator has published, or provided my Department with, detailed commercial or technical plans identifying individual premises to be served.

In order for premises to be removed from the State intervention area, a commercial operator must make a submission to my Department outlining its plans and commitments to provide these premises with a high speed broadband service. This is consistent with the State aid rules applying to State interventions to ensure the availability of high speed broadband services. Any such submission must satisfy the criteria set down by my Department in the mapping process that was published in 2015 on my Department’s website, before the NBP procurement process commenced. Details of the mapping process are available at the following link: ).

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1041. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on whether the roll-out of 5G services within the amber area would present a barrier to the roll-out of the national broadband plan; if the roll-out of a fibre network would be permissible under state aid rules; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13741/19]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The rollout of 5G services across Ireland is a key ingredient in meeting the country’s future connectivity needs; 5G will offer improvements in services and unlock new opportunities to businesses, communities and citizens across the State.

Ireland is a front runner in supporting the adoption of 5G services and exploring its potential capabilities. The State’s early allocation of the 3.6Ghz spectrum in 2017, (the first in Europe) and the actions to remove commercial barriers to 5G rollouts, undertaken through the Government’s Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce are both key enablers to ensuring 5G becomes a reality in Ireland at the earliest opportunity.

The future connectivity needs of citizens will be met by a combination of solutions, not solely through 5G, but also through other complementary solutions including the National Broadband Plan (NBP), which aims to ensure high speed broadband access to all premises in Ireland, regardless of location. These different initiatives are likely to work in tandem together to provide connectivity services and solutions where they are best suited. I note recent publications from ComReg reporting on

Meeting Consumers' Connectivity Needs () through a range of solutions which highlights this point. Therefore the rollout of 5G networks in the Amber area is encouraged and does not present a barrier to the rollout of the NBP.

In relation to the rollout of a fibre based network, State Aid Guidelines provide that intervention in a market failure scenario must be technology neutral. The NBP procurement process sought market solutions based on this guidance. All pre-qualified bids received through this process did, however, propose a predominantly fibre to the home solution.

As the Deputy will be aware, the procurement process to appoint a bidder for the State intervention network is now at the final stage and I intend to bring a recommendation to Government in the coming weeks.