Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 28 April 2015
451. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress that has been made in relation to offering an opportunity to wireless Internet service providers to tender for works to expand the broadband infrastructure to areas of rural Ireland that are not being serviced by any provider; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16476/15]
View answer452. Deputy Jim Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the progress that has been made, to date, to allow wireless Internet service providers to tender for works to expand the roll-out of broadband services in rural Ireland. [16486/15]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 451 and 452 together.
Through the National Broadband Plan, the Government aims to ensure that every citizen and business, regardless of location, has access to a high quality, high speed broadband service. This will be achieved through a combination of commercial investments and a State led intervention in areas where commercial services will not be provided.
The commercial telecommunications sector is currently investing approximately €2.5 billion in network upgrades and enhanced services with approximately 1.6 million of the 2.3 million premises in Ireland expected to have access to commercial high speed broadband services over the next two years. These very significant investments represent a step-change in the quality of broadband services available.
Last November I published a national high speed coverage map for 2016. This map is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. The areas marked BLUE represent those areas that will have access to commercial high speed broadband services by end 2016. The AMBER areas on the map 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. In accordance with EU State Aid guidelines, the procurement process will be technology neutral. My Department intends to launch a consultation on the Intervention Strategy under the National Broadband Plan this summer with a view to moving to formal procurement towards the end of 2015.
The opportunity to participate in this process will be open to the market including wireless internet service providers.
