Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 October 2013
364. Deputy Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties with the 3 network and Internet connectivity in the the Nire Valley and Hanora's Cottage area; the measures being taken to remedy same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42361/13]
View answerUnder the terms of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS) contract which my Department has in place with Hutchison 3G Ireland Ltd (trading as “3”), 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. The broadband service is a basic, affordable, scalable product in keeping with EU State Aid clearance for the Scheme in September 2007.
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.
My officials operate a dedicated NBS mailbox, which NBS customers can contact by email at nationalbroadbandscheme@dcenr.gov.ie, with any comments or complaints they may have about their NBS service. 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.
I understand from "3" that the site serving the Nire Valley/Hanora's Cottage area of Co. Waterford was adversely impacted as a result of planned maintenance work on a related site and it experienced service availability difficulties over a period in July last. The capacity of both sites has since been upgraded and “3” has advised my officials that the site serving the area is performing as expected.
