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Broadband Service Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014

Wednesday, 15 January 2014

Questions (454)

Michael Moynihan

Question:

454. Deputy Michael Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the percentage of the country that is currently covered by a broadband service; the counties that have the least broadband coverage in tabular form; the efforts that will be made to ensure all communities have access to broadband here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1170/14]

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Written answers

Ireland’s telecommunications market has been fully liberalised since 1999 in accordance with the requirements of binding EU Directives. The market has since developed into a well-regulated market, supporting a multiplicity of commercial operators, providing services over a diverse range of technology platforms. The combination of private investment and State interventions such as the National Broadband Scheme means that Ireland has met the EU Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe target of having a basic broadband service available to all areas by 2013.

In the normal course of events, my Department does not maintain information on the exact coverage offered by the many operators who offer broadband services and, given the different technologies and different types of service offered by these operators, it would not be practical to attempt to say whether one county had more or less broadband than another. Accordingly it is not possible to provide the detailed information sought in the Deputy’s question. However, information relating to broadband services which are available in the Irish market can be found on ComReg’s website at www.callcosts.ie.

The Government’s National Broadband Plan, which I published in August 2012, aims to radically change the broadband landscape in Ireland by ensuring that high speed broadband is available to all citizens and businesses. This will be achieved by providing:

- a policy and regulatory framework that assists in accelerating and incentivising commercial investment, and

- a State-led investment for areas where it is not commercial for the market to invest.

Since the publication of the Plan, investments by the commercial sector are underway and in some instances have been accelerated in both fixed line and wireless high speed broadband services. These developments have been facilitated through the implementation of measures in the National Broadband Plan, including the conclusion of ComReg's multiband spectrum auction, and the new regulatory regime for fixed line Next Generation Access and service bundles. Both of these measures are designed to incentivise the roll-out of services by operators.

In tandem with these developments, intensive work is underway in my Department to progress a State-led investment to secure the countrywide introduction of next generation broadband access. In order to progress the State-led investment for areas where it is not commercial for the market to invest, a full procurement process must be designed and EU State Aids approval must be obtained. My Department is engaged in a comprehensive mapping exercise of the current and anticipated investment by the commercial sector over the coming years, the results of which will inform the areas that need to be targeted in the State-led investment as envisaged in the National Broadband Plan.

The mapping exercise currently underway will identify and map current and planned broadband services, both basic and next generation access (NGA). The mapping data which has been submitted to my Department by operators is being assessed on a case-by-case basis, having regard to EU State Aid Guidelines, and engagement with participating operators is ongoing. When all of the information has been analysed, a clear picture should emerge of coverage throughout all of the country.

It is my intention to publish the map showing existing and planned NGA broadband coverage later this year, along with the Government’s proposals for a State-led intervention to roll out high speed broadband across the country.

Intensive technical, financial and legal preparations, including stakeholder engagement, are ongoing. The procurement process for the approved intervention will be carried out in accordance with EU and Irish procurement rules and it is expected that it will be launched in 2014.

Through the implementation of the National Broadband Plan, I am committed to ensuring that all parts of Ireland have access to high speed broadband, with a view to ensuring that all citizens and businesses can participate fully in, and maximise the benefits of, a digitally enabled economy and society.

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