I propose to take Questions Nos. 108, 110 and 111 together.
Historical data on total broadband subscribers in Ireland, as supplied to the European Commission by the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, is available from the following link:
http://europa.eu.int/information_society/topics/ ecomm/doc/all_about/implementation_ enforcement/broadband/broadband_data_ 01012005.pdf
I understand from ComReg that there were over 138,000 broadband subscribers in January 2005. The figure had risen to over 152,000 by 30 March 2005, however, figures for 1 June 2005 are not yet publicly available.
Questions relating to the enabling of telephone exchanges for broadband are operational matters for Eircom. However, I understand that the company has announced that it had over 140,000 working DSL lines by 27 May 2005 and aims to have 90% of lines broadband enabled by March 2006.
ComReg does not have projections for broadband take-up. However, Eircom has stated that it aims to have 500,000 DSL subscribers by December 2007. This is equivalent to 30% of households in Ireland. While DSL will continue to be the dominant broadband delivery platform for the foreseeable future, the rollout of fixed wireless access networks under ComReg's fixed wireless access local area, FWALA, scheme is a development that will help stimulate platform competition which is crucial to increasing broadband penetration in Ireland in the coming years.