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Mobile Telephony Services

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 January 2019

Tuesday, 15 January 2019

Questions (855, 856, 858)

Brendan Smith

Question:

855. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to introduce a universal service obligation on mobile telephony providers in relation to the need to provide adequate and up-to-date mobile telephone coverage nationally; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54105/18]

View answer

Brendan Smith

Question:

856. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the perceived inadequate mobile telephone coverage in many parts of counties Cavan and Monaghan; if he or the Communications Regulator will engage with mobile telecoms providers to ensure that customers in the area are provided with improved coverage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54106/18]

View answer

Brendan Smith

Question:

858. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the inadequate mobile telephone coverage in many parts of counties Cavan and Monaghan; if he or the Communications Regulator will engage with mobile telecoms providers to ensure that customers in the area are provided with improved coverage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54127/18]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 855, 856 and 858 together.

The EU and national regulatory framework for telecommunications allows for the application of a Universal Service Obligation (USO) in respect of fixed voice services. The existing framework for telecommunications relates solely to voice telephony and Functional Internet Access (28.8 kilobits per second). There is no provision in European or national regulation for a USO in relation to mobile voice services.

The Directive Establishing a European Electronic Communications Code (Directive (EU) 2018/1972), which will come into force following transposition in late 2020, aims to incentivise and encourage increased investment in high speed broadband networks, and contains a provision that would allow Member States to apply a USO for high speed broadband, in specific circumstances, where such networks are available.

Mobile operators are, however, rolling out 3G and 4G networks across Ireland following ComReg’s 2012 Multiband Spectrum auction, with at least one operator now having over 90% population coverage of 4G services.

Furthermore, the EU Commission's Digital Single Market Strategy highlights the importance of the 694-790MHz (700MHz) spectrum band for ensuring the provision of broadband services in rural areas. The band is particularly attractive for wireless broadband services, allowing higher speeds and greater coverage over long distances. An EU level Decision has been adopted in order to co-ordinate release of the band in all Member States by 30 June 2020. This proposal will allow mobile broadband services to use this part of the spectrum band, which will provide enhanced mobile services. My Department and ComReg have been working to ensure the necessary measures are taken to facilitate a clearance of the spectrum to meet the 2020 timeline for clearing broadcasting services from the band. In addition, ComReg published a preliminary consultation in June 2018 on a proposed award of spectrum rights of use covering multi- band spectrum, to include the 700 MHz band.

In terms of ongoing efforts to improve mobile telephony coverage nationally, the Programme for Government specifically included a commitment to a Mobile Phone and Broadband Taskforce. The Taskforce which is led by my Department and the Department of Rural and Community Development worked with key stakeholders to produce a report in December 2016, available on my Department’s website, containing 40 actions to alleviate some of the deficits. An Implementation Group is overseeing implementation of the actions and comprises all key stakeholders responsible for delivery. The Implementation Group meets on a quarterly basis and publishes quarterly progress reports on the implementation status of actions.

Various initiatives are underway under the aegis of the Taskforce, in order to address mobile coverage blackspots:

- My Department and the Department of Rural and Community Development have worked to achieve a greater consensus around site selection for telecoms infrastructure and therefore improve mobile phone coverage.

- Both Departments also worked with a pilot group of local authorities to identify issues relating to mapping local blackspots. This pilot exercise has been completed, with all local authorities having been asked to map local blackspots and identify infrastructure that could potentially be used to provide additional coverage on an economic basis.

- A focus group was established to provide guidance on categories of location where high quality reliable mobile coverage should be made available as a priority. The report of the focus group was published on my Department’s website on 31 August 2018. It is anticipated that the output of the group should influence the actions of the mobile network operators in working to reduce blackspots. It will also inform future policy with regard to priorities for mobile phone services.

- A working group has been established to investigate the feasibility of developing standardised policy for accessing and utilising State and publicly-owned assets for the deployment of telecommunications infrastructure.

- ComReg is delivering a composite national coverage map, which will, in tandem with its work on handset testing and activities to raise consumer awareness, allow people across Ireland to optimise the services available to them.

- ComReg has developed a licensing scheme enabling households and businesses to use mobile phone repeaters to boost signals into their premises and bring immediate improvements in mobile coverage.

On foot of feedback received from a wide variety of Stakeholders at the National Stakeholder Forum 2018, a suite of new Taskforce actions is currently being developed in ongoing discussions with potential action holders for 2019.

All of these initiatives should help enhance the quality of mobile phone and data services, particularly in rural areas such as counties Cavan and Monaghan.

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