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Broadband Service Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 24 October 2017

Tuesday, 24 October 2017

Questions (128)

Thomas Byrne

Question:

128. Deputy Thomas Byrne asked the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that broadband is being rolled out in an area and that a school (details supplied) is not benefitting from this roll-out. [44572/17]

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Written answers

Under the Schools Broadband Access Programme the Department provides for the supply of internet connectivity for recognised primary and post primary schools. All post-primary schools and some special schools are now included in the 100Mbps programme.

Under the current programme the Department continually reviews the availability of services and upgrades schools where the opportunity arises, in line with contractual and budgetary requirements. A recent drawdown from the Framework of Providers of Broadband Services saw some 1,100 primary schools awarded download speeds of 30Mbps or greater (the baseline download speed required under the National Broadband Plan). Some 900 of those schools have now been connected with the balance to be in place by the end of 2017.

Significant improvement has been made in recent years with the number of primary schools on broadband speeds of greater than 30mbs having increased from less than 100 in 2012 to over 1000 by the end of 2017.

The policy of this Department is to offer the best quality connectivity to all schools in line with the technical solutions available in the market and financial constraints.  Broadband capacity can vary due to geographical location and local infrastructure, and thus impact on the service that can be provided.

The need to improve broadband connectivity to primary schools is recognised in the Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020, and as noted access to high speed broadband is one of the indicators identified in the Digital Strategy Action Plan. An interdepartmental working group has been established to determine how best to address broadband connectivity to primary schools in collaboration with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment, in the context of the National Broadband Plan and the Intervention Strategy, and proposed industry provision.

In the case of the school referred to be the Deputy, the Schools Broadband Service Desk and the current Service Provider have reviewed the service provided, and they advise that the school is on the best broadband solution available at present.

According to the latest National Broadband Plan Mapping, the school in question is in an amber area, that is, an area that is not considered commercial by operators. This area will be covered under the State Intervention of the National Broadband Plan. Under the National Broadband Plan, the government has committed to intervening to ensure high speed broadband is available in parts of the country where commercial providers alone will not provide the essential services. This commitment to intervene will ensure that no school is left behind.

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