Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 22 November 2012
140. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason Ballynacargy, County Westmeath does not come under the national broadband scheme in view of the fact that they are deprived of what is now considered to be an essential service (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52013/12]
View answerThe provision of telecommunications services, including broadband services, is a matter in the first instance for private sector service providers operating in a liberalised market, regulated by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Broadband services are provided by private service providers over various platforms including DSL (i.e. over telephone lines), fixed wireless, mobile, cable, fibre and satellite. Details of broadband services available in each county can be found on ComReg’s website at www.callcosts.ie.
In cases of market failure the Government will intervene, where it is appropriate and possible to do so. The National Broadband Scheme (NBS) represents such an intervention. It aimed to bring an affordable, scalable broadband service to certain designated rural areas where the extent of broadband coverage by commercial operators, at the time the Scheme was launched in 2008, was deemed to be inadequate.
Prior to the commencement of the NBS a detailed mapping exercise was carried out to determine those areas that would be included in the Scheme and those which, by virtue of being already substantially served by existing broadband suppliers, could not be included. EU State aid and competition rules govern how States can intervene in areas in which commercial service providers already operate. Accordingly, the NBS is restricted to providing a basic service and is prohibited from providing a service in served areas where to do so would give rise to an unacceptable level of market distortion. That mapping exercise found that the general area of Ballynacargy in County Westmeath was already served by existing service providers and consequently was excluded from the Scheme.
The Government accepts that the widespread availability of high speed broadband is a key requirement in delivering future economic and social development. With basic broadband services now widely available across Ireland, the challenge is to accelerate the roll out of high speed services.
The National Broadband Plan, which I published recently, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed services of at least 30Mbps are available to all of our citizens and businesses, well in advance of the EU’s target date of 2020, and that significantly higher speeds are available to as many homes and businesses as possible. One of the first steps in delivering on the commitments in the Plan will be the completion of a formal national mapping exercise to determine the exact position in relation to commercial service providers’ existing and planned broadband services throughout the country. Preparatory work has commenced within my Department to expedite this mapping exercise.
The mapping exercise will identify the areas of the country where there is market failure in the provision of high speed broadband services. It will also identify where the market is expected to succeed and fail in the delivery of high speed broadband over the coming years. Until that process is complete, the precise areas of the country which will require State intervention will not be known. I would reiterate however, that the Government remains committed to the delivery of the speeds referred to above, to ensure that all parts of Ireland, including Ballynacargy, will have at least 30Mbps connectivity.
