The broadband service contracted under National Broadband Scheme (NBS) is a basic, affordable, scalable product in keeping with EU State Aid clearance for the Scheme. Under the terms of the contract which my Department has in place with “3”, the NBS service provider, the NBS mobile wireless service currently offers minimum download and upload speeds of 2.3Mbps and 1.4Mbps respectively, subject to a maximum contention ratio of 18:1. The NBS satellite service, which is utilised in a small number of cases for technical reasons associated with the location of the premises, offers minimum download and upload speeds of 3.6Mbps and 384 kbps respectively, subject to a maximum contention ratio of 48:1.
As regards service quality, my Department has well-established monitoring arrangements in place to ensure that the NBS delivers the minimum specified service or better to all users. The NBS contract guarantees service levels and imposes a service credit regime on “3”, with significant financial consequences in the event that minimum specification service levels are not met. The NBS contract also provides that where NBS customers do not receive the minimum guaranteed service, as set out in the terms and conditions of their contract, they are entitled to service rebates.
My Department liaises very closely with “3” to ensure that any issues relating to service performance, which are brought to its attention, are addressed as quickly as possible. In the case of the person referred to by the Deputy, my officials had already, on receipt of earlier representations on his behalf, been in contact with “3” to assist in resolving his performance issues with his NBS mobile wireless service. Likewise, my officials have been in direct contact with the customer in the matter.
In this case, I understand that the customer was provided with an additional piece of equipment in order to boost the signal to his home and a review of his customer user experience across the NBS network found it to be performing within the contractually agreed specifications of the Scheme. I have been informed that the customer to whom the Deputy refers has elected to use a different service provider and I regret that this customer’s experience of the NBS was not to his satisfaction.
While my Department has previously dealt with a small number of individual complaints from NBS customers in County Kerry there is no evidence to suggest widespread poor quality performance in the area. Such a scenario would be of major concern to me.
With basic broadband services widely available across Ireland, the focus is now on accelerating the roll out of high speed services. The Government is committed to the provision of high speed broadband to all citizens and businesses across Ireland through a combination of public and private sector investment, which is set out in its National Broadband Plan. The Plan commits to the provision of at least 30Mpbs connectivity to all parts of Ireland, including all areas within County Kerry.
