Written answers

Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

National Broadband Plan

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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27. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to expedite the roll-out of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16043/20]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 150Mbps from the outset. By the end of next year, NBI plans to pass in the region of 115,000 premises, with 70,000 - 100,000 passed each year thereafter until rollout is completed. All counties will see premises passed in the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State will have access to high speed broadband within the next four years. Design work is complete or ongoing in target townlands across 17 counties and steady progress is being made with over 40,000 premises surveyed to date. The survey work is feeding into detailed designs for each deployment area and laying fibre should start shortly with the first fibre to the home connections expected around December this year.

The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of good reliable broadband to ensure that citizens across Ireland can avail of remote working, education and other essential online facilities. Recognising this, the Programme for Government commits to seek to accelerate the roll out of the National Broadband Plan. The Programme for Government also recognises that the NBP will be a key enabler to many of the policies envisaged particularly around increased levels of remote working and remote service delivery.

My Department is currently engaging with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of the NBP rollout to bring forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the deployment plan to an earlier date. These discussions are ongoing and a preliminary position will be arrived at by the end of the summer.

To support remote working and rural connectivity, locations for up to 300 Broadband Connections Points (BCPs) have been identified by Local Authorities. The BCP delivery project is well underway and connectivity is being provided to each of the sites by National Broadband Ireland (NBI). Subsequent to this, the sites, other than schools, are being Wi-Fi enabled by Vodafone under a contract with the Department of Rural and Community Development. This work also involves the local authorities and site owners determining the services that will be provided for end-users at each site. For the 75 schools that are also part of this project, enabling these schools with Wi-Fi is being led by the Department of Education following NBI providing the connectivity to the schools.

Photo of Éamon Ó CuívÉamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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28. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when details of the roll-out under the national broadband plan will be published in order that householders will have an indication based on eircode as to when it is likely the roll-out of broadband will reach them; if it is a condition of the contract that this information be given by a specific date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15666/20]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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Under the NBP Contract, NBI is required to provide a pre-registration facility for members of the public on its website to enable them to register their interest in obtaining high speed broadband services so that they can automatically receive updates as and when the new high speed broadband network and associated products becomes available for specified premises.

Given the scale of the NBP it is not possible to publish scheduling details of the roll out over a 7 year period. Inevitably this will be subject to change as the project evolves. In recognition of this and to ensure the most up to date information is available, NBI provide details at individual premises level, utilising a dedicated search function. searchable by eircode, through it’s website. This provides updates to interested parties regarding what stage they are at in the process and offers an option to be kept updated on developments. The most up to date information can then be provided through updates as premises move through the various stages of deployment.

The contract to deliver the NBP State led intervention was signed in November last with NBI. The NBP network will offer those premises a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 150Mbps from the outset. Design work is complete or ongoing in target townlands across 17 counties with over 40,000 premises surveyed to date. By the end of next year, NBI plans to pass in the region of 115,000 premises, with 70,000 - 100,000 passed each year thereafter until rollout is completed. All counties will see premises passed in the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State will have access to high speed broadband within the next four years.

The Government has committed to seek to accelerate the roll out of the NBP. In this regard, my Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of this rollout to bring forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date. The commitment to seek to accelerate delivery of NBP is reflected in the new Programme for Government, which recognises the NBP as key enabler to many of the policies envisaged particularly around increased levels of remote working and service delivery.

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