The National Broadband Plan aims to ensure that high speed broadband is available to all citizens and businesses in Ireland. This will be achieved through measures designed to accelerate commercial investment in areas where there is a commercial case to do so and the development of a State-led intervention for non-commercial areas. As I explained in responding to the previous question, it is a matter for Irish Water, in the first instance, to decide whether there is a business case for entering the market. The electronic communications market is a fully liberalised market which is subject to EU market economy rules. Therefore any proposal by Irish Water or others to lay any electronic communications infrastructure to provide public services in areas where high quality broadband is already available, or planned within a reasonable period, must be decided on a commercial basis by the investors.
The National Broadband Plan intervention will seek an efficient least-cost approach to deliver high quality broadband access in non-commercial areas. As I indicated in my previous reply, my Department will publish a database of available assets which will be made accessible to all parties interested in participating in the State intervention. This database may identify parts of Irish Water’s network as a possible means of routing high quality broadband infrastructure in non-commercial areas should this be appropriate or possible.
The market intervention will require some level of State investment which will be allocated in an open, transparent procurement process. My Department will have a significant role in allocating the State investment to one or more successful applicants. In this circumstance it would not be appropriate for me express a preference for any one potential solution over others.
