Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 January 2013
502. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the national broadband roll-out programme; the date on which an area (details supplied) in County Wicklow is likely to be covered by the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4355/13]
View answerThe Government’s National Broadband Plan 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. During the preparation of the National Broadband Plan, the commercial market operators indicated that they expect to provide 70Mbps to 100Mbps services to 50% of the population by 2015. The areas to be provided with those services will be determined by the commercial market operators.
My Department is making preparations to commence a formal national mapping exercise to determine the exact position in relation to commercial service providers’ existing and planned broadband services throughout the country. It will also identify where the market is expected to succeed and fail in the delivery of high speed broadband over the coming years and will therefore inform the level of Government intervention that may be required. It will also form a critical input to an EU State Aids application in respect of any intervention. Until that process is complete, the precise areas of the country which will require State intervention to deliver on the commitments in the Plan will not be known. I would reiterate however, that the Government remains committed to ensuring that all parts of Ireland, including Kilcoole, County Wicklow, will have at least 30Mbps connectivity.
