Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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184. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if a definitive timeline for the rollout of high-speed broadband in County Cork will be provided. [28516/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract signed on last November to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the nearly 540,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset. This represents an increase from the 150Mbps committed to under the Contract. The deployment plan forecasts premises passed in all counties within the first two years and over 90% of premises in the State having access to high speed broadband within the next four years.

Design work is complete or ongoing in target townlands across 23 counties and steady progress is being made with over 98,000 premises surveyed as of the 28 September. This survey work is feeding into detailed designs for each deployment area and laying fibre should commence shortly with the first fibre to the home connections expected around December.

In Cork 12,000 premises have been surveyed in the areas of Carrigaline and Midelton.  NBI crews have started initial works for the build in the circa 4,000 premises in the Carrigaline area, including Cullen, Templebreedy, Carrigaline,  Ballyfolye, Douglas, Ballyphehane, Glasheen, Mahon, and Kilpatrick. Laying of fibre should start shortly with the first fibre to home connection expected around December 2020 in Carrigaline.

NBI provides a facility for any premises within the AMBER area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website ().

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. Some 155 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through 'service provider' contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly available sites and by the Department of Education and Skills (DES) for schools.

There are a number of BCPs located across County Cork including at Aubanem,  Mealagh Valley, Whitechurch, Glash, Courtbrack. Sherkin Island, Ballindangan and Lissvard Community Centres and Bere Island Heritage centre.  A number of schools  including Clogagh and Ballycroneen National School will also be connected to high speed broadband as part of the BCP initiative.  The Department will work with DES to prioritise the remaining schools to be connected over the term of the NBP. Further details can be found at .

While substantial progress has been made to date, the Covid 19 pandemic has had an impact on the delivery of the fibre network. The extent of this impact is currently being assessed and NBI has committed to put in place measures to mitigate the impact in as far as possible.

The Covid 19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of good reliable broadband to ensure that citizens across Ireland can avail of remote working, education and other essential online facilities. This is reflected in the commitments in the Programme for Government where delivery of the National Broadband Plan will be a key enabler to many of the policies envisaged particularly around increased levels of remote working.

The Programme for Government has committed to seek to accelerate the roll out of the National Broadband Plan. In this regard, my Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of this rollout to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date. Exploring the potential to accelerate the network rollout is being undertaken in parallel with the measures required to mitigate delays arising as a result of Covid-19.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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185. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the options available to persons (details supplied) that are included in the national broadband plan but are currently receiving an inadequate service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28518/20]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The Question refers to a premises which is located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention, the contract for which was signed in November last with National Broadband Ireland (NBI). The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset. This represents an increase from the 150Mbps committed to under the Contract.

The deployment plan forecasts premises passed in all counties within the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State having access to high speed broadband within the next four years. As of 28 September, design work is complete or ongoing in target townlands across 23 counties and steady progress is being made with over 98,000 premises surveyed to date. This activity is increasing week on week and NBI expects to have completed some 120,000 surveys by the end of the year.

This activity involves physically walking the routes and documenting images, notes and measurements of the poles, cables and underground ducts in each area. This is informing design solutions for provision of the fibre network. This detailed design is then used to initiate the ‘make ready’ project with eir for the area, where eir ensure any poles and ducts being reused are fit for purpose. It is also used to initiate works with the subcontractors deploying the actual fibre in the area. 

In Cork 12,000 premises have been surveyed in the areas of Carrigaline and Midelton.  NBI crews have started initial works for the build of circa 4,000 premises in the Carrigaline area, including Cullen, Templebreedy, Carrigaline,  Ballyfolye, Douglas, Ballyphehane, Glasheen, Mahon, and Kilpatrick. Laying of fibre should start shortly with the first fibre to home connection expected around December 2020 in Carrigaline.

NBI provides a facility for any premises within the AMBER area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website ().

Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. Some 155 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through 'service provider' contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly available sites and by the Department of Education and Skills (DES) for schools.

There are a number of BCPs located across County Cork including at Aubanem,  Mealagh Valley, Glash, Sherkin Island, Ballindangan, Lissvard Community Centres and Bere Island Heritage centre. In addition, there are two BCPs close to the premises referred to in the Question, namely Court Brack Community Centre and Whitechurch Community Centre.  A number of schools  including Clogagh and Ballycroneen National School will also be connected to high speed broadband as part of the BCP initiative. My Department will work with DES to prioritise the remaining schools to be connected over the term of the NBP. Further details can be found at .

I understand that there can be instances where premises remain unconnected, although close to premises that are passed by eir’s fibre network. eir’s rural deployment of high speed broadband is a commercial undertaking and, as such, decisions regarding the areas and premises served are made by eir. My Department has no role in the matter and has no statutory authority to intervene in decisions of commercial operators as to where they build infrastructure and provide services. 

Throughout rural Ireland, eir’s fibre deployment is primarily focussed on towns and villages and the premises on their outskirts. Where that network ends is where the National Broadband Plan in effect commences to ensure that nobody is left behind. I appreciate people's frustration when they are living so close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is underway.

In April 2020, all major telecommunications providers committed to a number of measures to help people stay in touch and work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, with one particular commitment relating to the zero-rating of various educational and health related resource platforms. Since then, a number of operators have implemented further supports for consumers, such as for students in  education, who require a high data usage package, by increasing data limits on many existing packages and by the introduction of new packages with very high, or unlimited data offerings. The market for mobile packages with very high, or unlimited data offerings, is becoming increasingly competitive and this is positive for all consumers.

Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract signed last November. I am advised that NBI operate a contact centre for customer queries which is accessible Monday to Saturday 9am – 6pm with agents available to answer phone queries. The contact number for this facility is 0818 624624.

NBI also has a dedicated email address to which queries can be addressed, . The same hours apply to the email service and I understand NBI endeavour to reply to emails within 3-5 days. Queries are also answered on their social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter, during these hours.

In addition, NBI provides a facility for any premises within the NBP State led intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website, .