Written answers

Wednesday, 10 March 2021

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Broadband Infrastructure

Photo of Niamh SmythNiamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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186. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the roll-out of fibre broadband at a location (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13168/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The question refers to a premises located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website . The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led intervention. 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 under way. 

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland that, as of 3 March 2021, nearly 187,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed.  Surveys are complete or underway in County Cavan in the areas of Ballinagh, Corlurgan, Araghan, Poles, Caughoo, Belturbet, Killashandra, Butler’s Bridge, Ballylennon, Redhills, Gannons Cross, Derryheelan, Castlesaunderson, Townparks, Foalies Bridge, Riverrun and Erne Hill. Main build works commenced outside Cavan town including Ballinagh, Corlurgan, Araghan, Poles and Caughoo (in the south of the county). Further details are available on specific areas within County Cavan through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website .Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

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.  As of 3 March, 287 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 accessible sites and the Department of Education for school BCPs.  BCP’s are installed at Gallonray House Gallonreagh Maudabawn, Kildallan Parish Hall,  Killenkere Leisure Centre, Castle Saunderson Scout Centre, Bunnoe Community Centre (5.9 Kilometres from the premises), Drumavaddy Community Centre, Templeport Community Centre, Cornafean Community Centre, Mullahoran Community Centre and Glengevlin Community Hall.  The site at Castlerahan Community Centre is installed and connected.  Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/. 

Laragh National School is planned by NBI for educational access as part of this initiative.  My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at .

Photo of Jennifer Carroll MacNeillJennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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187. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the steps he will undertake to ensure the provision of high-speed broadband connection to a household (details supplied) in County Dublin; when a high-speed connection will be available to the residents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13192/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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The High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas which will be included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State-led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode. The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services. My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard. There may be a choice of operators offering this service in the area referred to and further information in this regard is available at . ​

Premises in the area referenced in the Question are served directly from the local eir exchange. Our records indicate that eir is currently providing a minimum speed of 30Mbps to the premises referred to in the Question and to all the premises within the housing estate.

Complaints about service provision are a matter between the consumer and the service provider in the first instance. If this avenue has been exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further. ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to make sure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.

In the event that, having exhausted the above options, a premises located in the BLUE area still cannot get high-speed broadband from service providers in the area, they should contact my Department at with full details and the matter will be investigated by my officials.  

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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188. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the extent to which the broadband roll-out throughout the country can be expedited with a view to ensure the availability of sufficient connectivity to enable the maximum number of citizens to work from home or from hubs where available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13220/21]

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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190. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of new broadband connections being made on a monthly basis notwithstanding the lockdown; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13222/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 190 together.

A combination of commercial investment and the State led intervention under the National Broadband Plan (NBP) will ensure access to high speed broadband in every part of the country and no premises will be left behind, no matter how remote. Of the 2.4 million premises across Ireland, 77% of premises now have access to high-speed broadband of more than 30 Mbps.  National Broadband Ireland (NBI) will  address  the remaining premises through the NBP State led intervention.

The NBP State led Intervention will be delivered by NBI under a contract 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 over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools.  The deployment plan forecasts construction commenced 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.

In addition, a number of commercial operators have announced further investment plans in high-speed broadband. Eir has said it will roll out fibre to a further 1.4 million premises, bringing their fibre deployment to some 1.8 million premises. SIRO is currently completing the first phase of its fibre deployment which will see 375,000 premises passed with gigabit services. Virgin Media is offering 250Mbps as a standard offering with 500Mbps and 1Gbps available to many of their customers across the more than 1 million premises that they cover. Many other network operators and telecom service providers across the State also continue to invest in their networks.

The latest available Comreg Key Data Report on broadband for Q3, 2020 shows that fixed broadband subscriptions increased to 1.5 million which is an increase of 0.8%  for that quarter and an increase of 3.6% compared to Q3, 2019. Of these, over 223k were fibre to the premises (FTTP) subscriptions representing 14.8% of the total fixed broadband in Q3 2020 which is up from 9.9% in Q3 2019. In Q3, 2020 approximately 80.4% of broadband subscribers had purchased broadband with speeds equal to or greater than 30Mbps. Of all fixed broadband subscriptions 40.8% of subscribers purchased broadband speeds equal to or greater than 100Mbps. According to Eurostat, in 2019 Ireland’s household penetration rate (including fixed and mobile broadband) at 90% is slightly higher than the EU average of 89%.

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland that, as of 3 March 2021, nearly 187,000 premises across all counties have been surveyed.  Further details are available on specific areas through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the intervention area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises as works commence. I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

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.  As of 3 March, 287 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 accessible sites and the Department of Education for school BCPs. 

My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan was announced in December which will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at .

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. The Programme for Government commits 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 roll-out to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the deployment. Exploring the potential to accelerate the network roll-out is being undertaken in parallel with the measures required to mitigate delays arising as a result of Covid-19 which are also the subject of detailed discussions with NBI.

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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189. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the efforts being made to ensure the provision of reliable high-speed broadband to industrial hubs throughout the country in order to address communication deficiencies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13221/21]

Photo of Eamon RyanEamon 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 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 over 544,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with 695 schools. The deployment plan forecasts construction commenced 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. 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 and currently include primary schools, community centres, sports centres, agricultural marts, industrial estates and post offices. To date most of that activity has focussed on community halls, sports centres and schools.

My Department has now prioritised primary schools with no high speed broadband and continues to work with the Department of Education in this regard. An acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026.

While schools are now clearly the main focus of this element of the NBP, other locations of a strategic nature in the intervention area continue to be assessed for the purposes of this element of the NBP.

BCPs are a subset of a much wider national network of hubs.  In this regard the Department of Rural & Community Development are chairing an inter-departmental working group which is seeking to enhance and promote the visibility of this national network and, as part of this exercise, are exploring the range of services that these facilities will offer. 

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