Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

135. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the roll out of the national broadband plan in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52241/21]

Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Question refers to an area located in the AMBER area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on 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. 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.

I am advised by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) that, as of 21 October premises across all counties have been surveyed. Surveys are complete or underway in County Kerry in townlands around Killarney and Tralee including Muckross, Fossa, Kilcummin, Lissivigeen, Ballycasheen, Faha, Firies, Ballyhar, Curraheen, Abbeydorney, Kilflynn, Castlemaine, Ardfert, Rathmore, Knocknacopple, Mounthorgan, Kilquane Upper, Barraduff, Cloonteens, Gneevgullia, Tureenamult,  Renasup, Castlegregory, Aughacasla, Camp, Knockbrack, Maum, Lougher, Inch, Annascaul, Derrygorman, Ballyglasheen, Brackluin, Ballintarmon, Drom, An Clochan, Kilshannig, Fahamore, Candeehy Breanainn, Ballyheigue, Glenderry, Ladywell, Banna, Lerrig, Ballymacandrew, Causeway, Foxfort, Ballymacaquinn, Ballincloher, Dromartin and Beenconeen. Build has started in the areas around Tralee in Curraheen, Abbeydorney, Kilflynn, Firies, Castlemaine and Ardfert and in the Kilarney area.

Further details are available on specific areas within County Kerry 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. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.

NBI's fibre network architecture is centred around existing Open Eir exchanges and the State owned Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). This strategy is based on engineering design principles that allows every premises to be passed as quickly and as efficiently as possible. The fibre network is divided up into 227 Deployment Areas (DA). Each Deployment Area is centred around existing Regional or Local Exchanges. NBI started the rollout in the 33 Deployment Areas across Ireland (at least 1 per county) that have regional exchanges as these exchanges already have an established connection back to existing data centres. Regional exchanges are mostly located near urban areas. Once NBI install their equipment in the regional exchange and from there to the data centres, they can then install their equipment in the neighbouring local exchanges and connect them back to the regional exchange.

In County Kerry, the regional exchanges are located in the Tralee and Killarney Deployment Areas with local exchanges in Ballydavid, Ballyheigue, Castlegregory, Castleisland, Glencar, Kells, Kilgarvan, Listowel, Rathmore, Sneem, Valentia and Waterville DAs. In line with the rollout of the regional exchanges, NBI started works in the Tralee and Killarney DAs in County Kerry. To date, NBI have surveyed more than 16,000 premises and have commenced fibre build works to pass over 6,400 premises within those Deployment Areas. I am advised by NBI that the anticipated surveys dates for Valentia Island are currently within the first half of 2022.Further details can be found at www.nbi.ie/where-are-we-working/.

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 21 October, 386 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. In County Kerry, publicly accessible BCP’s are live in the Cable Station on Valentia Island, Valentia Community Centre and Sports Hall (Valentia Island), An Chillíneach (Killeenagh), Gneeveguilla, Cillín Liath, Kielduff Community Centre, Saint Fiachna's Church and Community Centre in Bonane and the Railway Station Heritage Centre and Community Space outside Kells. The BCP in Kilmoyley Community Centre is also installed and awaits a live connection. Further details can be found at www.nbi.ie/broadband-connection-points/.

In County Kerry, Primary School BCPs for educational access only are already live in Boheeshil National School (Glencar), The Black Valley National School (Gap of Dunloe) and Coars National School (Mastergeehy). 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 .