Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 March 2019
1047. Deputy Anne Rabbitte asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the position regarding the extension of the roll-out of high speed broadband in areas marked in light blue on the high speed broadband map; if a premises within a 500 metre radius can be added to a light blue area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13874/19]
View answerUnder a Commitment Agreement signed with my Department in April 2017, eir is in the process of passing 300,000 predominantly rural homes with high speed broadband. According to data for Q4 2018 submitted by eir to my Department the company has passed almost 225,000 premises nationwide as part of its ongoing deployment.
These premises are in the LIGHT BLUE area of my Department’s High Speed Broadband Map, available at www.broadband.gov.ie.
Information on eir's rural deployment is available on that company’s website, http://fibrerollout.ie/Eircode-lookup/. A copy of the Commitment Agreement is available on my Department’s website.
eir’s rural investment in high speed broadband is an entirely commercial undertaking, and not part of the planned State Intervention network. Although the deployment is monitored under the terms of the Commitment Agreement, it is not funded by the State and it is not planned, designed or directed by my Department in any capacity.
Decisions made by private telecommunications operators relating to the roll out and siting of infrastructure to provide high speed broadband services throughout Ireland are undertaken on a commercial basis. I have no statutory role or function in such commercial decisions of private operators, and therefore cannot direct operators regarding infrastructure installation or delivery of services.
