Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 April 2013
369. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if the development of broadband services here in terms of availability and speed is equal to that in other EU jurisdictions with particular reference to those countries deemed to be our competitors; the extent to which this country’s competence in this regard has improved in line with other jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20402/13]
View answer371. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which high-quality, high-speed broadband is readily accessible throughout the entire country on a par with the highest quality of such services available in other jurisdictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20404/13]
View answer372. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the extent to which the full requirement in terms of high-speed, high-quality broadband is available to hospitals, schools, local authorities and third level educational institutions throughout the country, with particular reference to the need to compete with the best in Europe and worldwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20405/13]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 369, 371 and 372 together.
International comparison tables of broadband speeds and services should be interpreted with some caution. International comparisons do not take account of high speed services at speeds up to and exceeding 1 gigabit per second which are contracted by heavy users of such service for use using leased lines or comparable links. Furthermore, International comparison tables are based on marketed services which do not take account of actual accessibility to those speeds within any state nor do they take account of the actual customer experience which may differ from state to state.
In Ireland high capacity broadband links over leased lines, which are capable of meeting the needs of heavy users including hospitals, schools, local authorities and third level educational institutions, are widely available. However, as mentioned above, these services are not included in international comparisons. In the case of post primary schools the Government has announced plans to equip all post primary schools with 100Mbps broadband. This programme is continuing and all schools will be connected by the start of the 2014 academic year
In the case of marketed broadband services, data reports published by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), reveal that the number of broadband subscribers has more than doubled in Ireland to over 1.6 million between 2007 and 2012. Similarly, in the case of speeds, the number of residential customers contracted in a range between 2–10 megabits per second (Mbps) increased from 41% of all subscribers in 2007 to 71% in 2012. The number of subscribers accessing speeds exceeding 10 Mbps increased from 0.2% to 24% in the same period. 95% of customers are therefore contracted at speeds of 2 Mbps or more compared to an EU average availability at 2 Mbps or more over fixed lines of 92%.
In the case of comparing the fastest marketed speeds, the most recently published OECD data ranks Ireland 16th fastest of more than 30 countries surveyed for fastest advertised retail broadband speed.
Subject to the cautions expressed above about interpreting international comparison tables, it can be concluded that there has been significant growth in the take up of marketed retail broadband services and contracted speeds in Ireland in recent years and, in addition, high bandwidth is widely available in Ireland over leased lines. The take up of basic broadband in Ireland at speeds of 2 Mbps or more compares favourably with similar accessibility as an EU average. The availability of high speed services is also increasing rapidly with UPC now offering speeds of 150Mbps to almost 700,000 homes and Eircom preparing to launch new next generation fixed line services. Mobile operators are also preparing to launch high speed 4G services following ComReg’s successful conclusion of the multi band spectrum auction. The Government has committed to ensuring that broadband speeds of at least 30Mbps are available in all parts of Ireland. This will require intervention by the State in areas where there is no case for investment by the commercial market. My Department is in the process of appointing consultants to assist in developing the necessary mapping, EU State Aids and procurement process for this intervention.
The National Broadband Plan (NBP) therefore anticipates that all parts of Ireland will have access to 30Mbps broadband well ahead of the EU target date of 2020.
