Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 11 Nov 2003

Vol. 574 No. 1

Written Answers. - Telecommunications Services.

John Gormley

Question:

129 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the provision his Department intends making to ensure that the developing network of metropolitan fibre optic telecommunications rings will have proper connections to the developing fibre optic network along cross country power, rail and gas pipelines; and his views on whether other regulatory measures will be required to ensure that there are also proper links from these metropolitan loops to the local area network. [26346/03]

Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. D. Ahern):

The 19 metropolitan area networks, MANs, under construction by local and regional authorities, supported by Government and EU funding of €64 million, are designed to interconnect to the maximum extent with existing infrastructure. The MANs will be completed on time and within budget by the end of 2004 and will be managed for the State by a management services entity, MSE, which is currently being procured. The MSE will have full responsibility for the management, marketing and maintenance of the MANs and will be awarded a services concession contract for a period of ten years in consideration of a financial return to the State. Connectivity and back-haul issues will be matters for the MSE.

Question No. 130 answered with Question No. 119.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

131 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if mobile and conventional telephone technology is receiving sufficient investment to keep pace with international competition and development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26325/03]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

337 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has satisfied himself in terms of future investments and improvements in wireless and broadband technology, with particular reference to the future needs of industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26583/03]

Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. D. Ahern):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 131 and 337 together.

The overall level of investment in the telecommunications sector is a commercial matter in the first instance for the telecommunications companies. In certain instances, the Commission for Communications Regulation, in order to fulfil its statutory remit of promoting competition and encouraging efficient investment, may exercise its regulatory functions through regulatory intervention. In accordance with the provisions of the Communications Regulation Act 2002, the commission is independent in the exercise of its functions. My Department is funding a series of trials of wireless based technologies in a number of locations nationwide to assess the potential for delivery of broadband using these technologies, particularly in rural areas. A full report on these trials is expected by the end of this year.

Richard Bruton

Question:

132 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources his views on the most recent report on Irish competitiveness and the importance of broadband roll-out to Irish competitiveness. [26373/03]

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

341 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the extent to which he expects the telecommunications industry to achieve the essential degree of competitiveness in order to assist industrial development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26587/03]

Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources (Mr. D. Ahern):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 341 together.

The Government's guiding vision for broadband is to have widespread availability of open access, affordable, always-on broadband infrastructure for businesses and citizens throughout the State within three years. As regards competitiveness, we wish to place Ireland within the top 10% of developed countries for broadband connectivity within that time frame. The regional broadband programme, for which an indicative €200 million of Government and European Regional Development Fund funding was set aside under the National Development Plan 2000-2006, is under way and entails the roll-out of advanced communications infrastructure to all regions.

Recent price reductions and the introduction of flat rate Internet access, which was introduced following a set of policy directions that I issued to ComReg earlier this year, have helped greatly with the uptake of broadband. Higher uptake figures will result from more competitive pricing by service providers who have shown they understand the dynamics of the marketplace and are, as a consequence, lowering the price to consumers and businesses.

Developments during 2003 indicate that broadband penetration is now increasing rapidly in all areas of the country and it is quite evident that there is considerable demand from both business and domestic customers. As a measure of this demand, the EU flash barometer places Ireland fourth in the EU in Internet penetration. Recent reports show Internet penetration among SMEs in Ireland is running at 84%. My Department and ComReg will continue to drive and monitor developments closely.