Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 30 January 2018
516. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the timeframe for the roll-out of fibre broadband in an area (details supplied); and if this work will be carried out by October 2018 as previously stated. [4267/18]
View answerIn April I published an updated High Speed Broadband Map which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie. This map shows the areas targeted by commercial operators to provide high speed broadband services and the areas that will be included in the State Intervention Area.
eir signed a Commitment Agreement (available at www.dccae.gov.ie) in April 2017 committing to deploy a new high speed broadband infrastructure to 300,000 premises in rural areas. eir has committed to completing the rollout by the end of 2018. My Department is monitoring this rollout to ensure that eir meets its obligations under the Agreement.
My Department's High Speed Broadband Map (www.broadband.gov.ie) shows that 99% (134 premises) of the townland of Ballymore, Co Westmeath fall within eir's 300k planned rural deployment. Updates on progress of the eir 300,000 rollout are published on a quarterly basis on this Map. eir has confirmed to my Department that over 101,000 premises have been passed nationally as at the end of September 2017. This figure includes 2,750 premises in Westmeath have been passed to date, with a further 4,000 to follow this year.
The remaining 1% (2 premises) of the townland of Ballymore falls within the State Intervention Area. Therefore, depending on the eircode of the address the constituent may either be covered commercially or be included in the State led Intervention under the National Broadband Plan (NBP).
Information on eir's planned rural deployment is available at http://fibrerollout.ie/eircode-lookup/. Citizens can access this website to determine the connectivity availability status for their premise using their eircode. The website also provides a list of retail service providers who offer services using high speed fibre network in the area.
Those premises within the State Intervention area form part of my Department's on-going procurement process to select a company or companies who will roll-out a new high speed broadband network. That procurement process is now at an advanced stage. “Detailed Solutions” submitted by two bidders on 26th September are being evaluated by the NBP specialist team. This is the last stage of the procurement process before moving to the final tender stage, which will be followed by the appointment of a preferred bidder(s) and contract signature.
