Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 November 2004
224 Mr. Aylward asked the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the criteria used to determine the various towns and villages throughout the country selected for broadband access; if this service is likely to be made available to households and companies in Urlingford, County Kilkenny using the satellite link; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28875/04]
View answerThe provision of telecommunications services, including broadband, is a matter in the first instance for the private sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market, regulated by ComReg, the Commission for Communications Regulation.
The Government set aside an indicative €200 million under the NDP 2000-06 for broadband infrastructure investment that will, in turn, enable the provision of broadband services regionally by the private sector.
The principal aim of the regional broadband programme is to provide open-access broadband infrastructure in all towns of 1,500 population and over that do not already have broadband on offer from the service providers, or where the medium to long-term broadband infrastructure is deficient from a regional development standpoint.
In the first phase of the programme metropolitan area networks, MANs, are being built in 26 towns and cities, in association with the local authorities. In the second phase, MANs will be built in a further 92 towns. All of the infrastructure will remain in public ownership, and will be managed for the State by the management services company E-Net, which has been awarded the services concession contract following a public tender process.
For smaller towns and rural communities, such as Urlingford, I have introduced the group broadband scheme, under which funding is available to assist the community to come together and, with the service providers, to obtain broadband for their area using the technology that best suits the location, such as wireless, DSL, satellite or fibre.
My Department's website www.broadband.gov.ie gives full details of the companies offering broadband in all parts of the country, and lists five companies offering satellite broadband services in the Urlingford area.
Full details of the regional broadband programme and the group broadband scheme can be found on my Department's websites www.dcmnr.gov.ie and www.gbs.ie.
