Vol. 593 No. 5
70 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reasons the provision of broadband facilities throughout the country has not kept pace with original projections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31217/04]
98 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the extent to which provision of the most modern telecommunications technology is being made available to the domestic and business sectors throughout the country; if provision to date is in line with expectations and projections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31203/04]
125 Mr. English asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources when he expects the provision of state-of-the-art telecommunications here to catch up with European leaders in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31214/04]
140 Mr. Deenihan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason Ireland’s position in the league of modern fast telecommunications has dropped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31216/04]
141 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the extent to which telecommunications objectives in the national development plan have been met to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31202/04]
145 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if earlier projections in regard to the provision of broadband throughout the country have been met to his satisfaction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31280/04]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 70, 98, 125, 140, 141 and 145 together.
Up to early 2003 the telecommunications market, although fully liberalised, had been slow to invest in the necessary infrastructure to keep pace with the demand for broadband. In March 2002 the Government set out its aim of placing Ireland within the top 10% of OECD countries for broadband connectivity within three years.
Recognising that the lack of high-speed infrastructure would deny us that goal, the Government set aside an indicative €200 million under the NDP for infrastructure developments that would enable the provision of services by the private sector. The creation of high-capacity backbone infrastructure and metropolitan area networks, MANs, are the cornerstones of the programme. Some 19 MANs have been completed and seven more are under construction.
In the next phase of the programme broadband networks will be rolled out in more than 90 towns with a population of 1,500 or more. The MANs are being managed for the State on an open access basis and offer private sector telecommunications providers wholesale rates for band width that are on a par with the best available in Europe. The group broadband scheme, introduced by my Department earlier this year, enables smaller towns and rural communities to come together with the service providers and, with funding assistance of up to 55% from my Department, obtain broadband connectivity using the most suitable technology. Considerable interest is being shown in the scheme with applications submitted by more than 50 communities to date.
The availability of broadband is increasing. Telecommunications companies are vigorously marketing digital subscriber line, DSL, broadband in all areas, while other broadband technologies such as satellite, wireless and cable are all growing in popularity. The number of broadband customers is growing by more than 30% per quarter and has increased 80-fold in the past year to over 105,000 customers today.
Other countries are also actively pushing the broadband agenda and that will make our targets more difficult to reach. However, we have seen significant progress in 2004 in terms of increased broadband penetration and I am satisfied that the conditions are in place to see this rate of progress sustained through 2005.
I realise the Minister is new to this portfolio but, notwithstanding that and keeping in mind his admission that we are not up to the originally anticipated speed, what is the root cause of the slow investment in infrastructure? Will the Minister indicate why Ireland is falling further behind, notwithstanding that these warning signals have existed for the past two or three years, during which time I and other Members have tabled questions on the issue? Will the Minister indicate whether the methods now being used to expand broadband services throughout the country are the most cost effective, efficient and sustainable, with greater emphasis on sustainability? For example, is adequate use being made of wireless technology as a means of providing to a wider group of consumers the most up-to-date services in terms of broadband availability?
Will the Minister indicate whether MANs and some of the other systems now in operation are to some extent old technology? Given that technology has a relatively short lifespan, will he give the House an indication of the degree to which the most modern technology is being used in the expansion and provision of the services referred to?
The reason for the slow roll-out of infrastructure was that Eircom, the company with the most exchanges and so on, did not afford it the same degree of priority as the Government — it had other priorities. Deputy Broughan said that at a time when we were looking to Eircom for the fast roll-out of broadband, rather than investing in broadband, it borrowed money to pay dividends and shares to its shareholders. That is no great secret. There is no point crying over spilled milk. There was no competition and, given Eircom's position, there was a slow start to the roll-out of broadband. As I outlined in my reply, that position has been accelerated.
To be fair to Eircom, it is now committed to reaching the target of 400,000 connections by the end of 2006. I have asked Eircom and others to be more ambitious and to try to achieve 500,000 connections, but it has indicated it will take until 2007 to reach that target. I believe, with the roll-out of schools' broadband, the MANs projects and the group schemes, that the target of 500,000 will be reached in 2006. That is the history on this issue. It is my view based on the information available regarding why Ireland has not been as fast as other countries to take off in this area.
Was the Minister shocked to find that was the position when he took office?
I would not use the word "shocked".
Perhaps the Minister was upset.
The Minister was aware of the position given his work with schools.
I was aware from the schools projects and so on that we were much further behind. We are not falling further behind but are catching up. In 18 months, it has risen from 10,000 subscribers in March 2003 to 105,000. The number of connections is increasing at 30% per quarter, so we are not falling behind. However, the target keeps moving——
That is the problem.
——but we are catching up because we are going at a much faster rate.
As Dr. Garret FitzGerald would say, the rate of increase is falling.
That is a good description.
The metropolitan area networks are a fibre optic network, which, I am told by all technical experts, gives unlimited bandwidth. The type of technology used at the end of these networks by the various service providers is a matter for them. I do not have great knowledge of what specifically they are doing. However, many new technologies are coming into the area such as WiMAX, wireless and satellite. The increasing divergence of methods for providing broadband throughout the country will help in reaching our targets. Nationwide coverage will be achieved by 2007.
I hate to disagree with the Minister. However, regarding the revised targets, does he accept that excavations required for cabling are more complicated and costly than the use of wireless technology? Wireless technology can be used to a far greater extent to expand the facilities available for the fibre optic networks. The combination of both will give a far broader service to communities than just a fibre optic network on its own. Why did the then Minister not give a direction on the investment of infrastructure five years ago when it should have taken place? In two months' time if the provision of broadband facilities, as anticipated in the Minister's projections, is not coming up to speed, will he give such a direction?
Is it the policy of the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats Government to give every household a broadband connection? If so, what is the time frame? Is the basic policy similar to the electricity roll-out in the 1930s and 1940s?
The Minister's predecessor, Deputy Dermot Ahern, called all the Opposition spokespersons to Government Buildings to inform us there was market failure in this area. Will the Minister agree that there has also been regulatory failure? As the Minister, Deputy Noel Dempsey, was Minister for Education and Science, will first year students in 2005 receive a laptop computer? If so, we could begin to be an IT-enabled society. Will the Minister take major steps such as this to drive IT infrastructure development, which he agreed is a disaster?
Is duplication occurring with the development of the metropolitan area networks between State and private infrastructures? Does the Minister believe it should be developed as a separate physical network or is there a case for integrating State and private infrastructures?
The greater the variety of means to provide broadband, the better. However, all means, such as wireless, satellite, coaxial, cable and copper pair, are now being used. There is that mix of means as referred to by the Deputy. The slowness in rolling out the infrastructure in comparison to the UK is because the UK has an existing extensive cable network that Ireland does not have. The Government's policy is to roll out broadband and to have 100% penetration throughout the country.
To every county and every household.
It is up to every household whether it wants to make use of it. I will not force anybody to take broadband if they do not want it.
That day will never come.
I do not foresee an announcement that first year students in 2005 will receive a laptop computer.
Not tomorrow then.
I foresee completion of the schools' broadband project in the first term of 2005. What is happening with the metropolitan area networks is not duplication but competition. Provision of the cable allows for competition in the market, which is good for the future.
Written answers follow Adjournment Debate.
