Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 April 2015
683. Deputy Seán Kyne asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if his Department has engaged with the ESB in terms of the organisation's expansion into broadband provision by way of the electricity network; the type and level of engagement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15809/15]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan aims to deliver high speed broadband to every premises in Ireland, putting us to the forefront internationally in terms of ubiquitous reliable broadband. This is being achieved through a partnership approach between the Government and the commercial telecommunications sector.
A key element of the National Broadband Plan is the creation of a policy and regulatory environment that helps stimulate commercial investment. In 2014, the Oireachtas passed legislation introduced by my Department, which has enabled ESB to enter the telecommunications market using its extensive electricity distribution network. Following the enactment of the legilsation, the two shareholding Ministers - the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform - consented to ESB entering into a Joint Venture with Vodafone Ireland. The two companies have since announced plans to deliver fibre-to-the-home services to 500,000 homes and businesses in 50 towns across Ireland, with the possibility of a further expansion of this €450m investment programme.
This commercial development is bringing competition in the provision of high speed services to rural towns across Ireland. The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades, and particularly in the provision of high speed broadband. In the space of just over two years, commercial operators have rolled out services to 1.1m of Ireland's 2.3m premises and within the next year and a half, 1.6m premises will be able to access these services. This represents 70% of the premises in Ireland.
Working closely with industry, last November I published a national high speed coverage map which provides detail of every premises that will have access to high speed broadband from commercial operators by the end of 2016. This map is available at www.broadband.gov.ie . The areas marked BLUE represent the 70% of premises that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016. The AMBER areas show the target areas for the State intervention.
Intensive design and planning work is underway in my Department to produce a detailed intervention strategy for the AMBER area. Following a public consultation process on the draft Intervention Strategy this summer, I hope to move to formal procurement phase towards the end of this year in order to select a preferred bidder or bidders.
In delivering this combination of commercial and State-led investment in high speed broadband, I and my Department are engaging intensively with all commercial operators, including ESB/Vodafone. Consultation in relation to the mapping exercise continues, and we have also met with operators who may be interested in the bidding process for the State-led intervention, including ESB/Vodafone. The Department has also visited two pilot high speed broadband projects, which include an eircom rural fibre-to-the-home pilot in Belcarra Co Mayo, and ESB / Vodafone fibre-to-the-home trial in Cavan town.
Details of our engagement with industry are provided in monthly updates on the Department's mapping website www.broadband.gov.ie
