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Broadband Service Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 May 2019

Wednesday, 8 May 2019

Questions (1250)

Clare Daly

Question:

1250. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to the gap in fibre broadband coverage at a location (details supplied); and the steps he is taking to address this and other similar anomalies in the roll-out of broadband infrastructure. [19273/19]

View answer

Written answers

The estate referred to by the Deputy is in the BLUE area on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map, which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The BLUE areas are where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services.

The installation of telecommunications infrastructure and delivery of services via same is undertaken by private companies operating on a commercial basis in a liberalised market. I have no statutory authority to direct commercial operators in this regard, and cannot intervene in such day to day operations.

That notwithstanding my Department monitors the deployment of broadband infrastructure by commercial operators across the country and will continue to do so. Should commercial operators’ plans for premises in BLUE areas not materialise it may become necessary for my Department to intervene.

The NBP High Speed Broadband Map is dynamic. This means that either during the procurement, or following award of an NBP contract, the intervention area can be updated to reflect new commercial plans, or previous plans that have failed to materialise. This flexibility allows for an increase or decrease in the number of premises included in the State Intervention area.

For those premises currently awaiting access to high speed broadband, practical initiatives will continue to be addressed through the work of the Mobile Phone and Broadband Task Force to address obstacles and improve connectivity in respect of existing and future mobile phone and broadband services.

Under this task force, engagement between telecommunications operators and local authorities through Local Authority Broadband Officers is continuing. These Broadband Officers are acting as single points of contact in local authorities for their communities. The appointment of these officers is already reaping rewards in terms of ensuring a much greater degree of consistency in engagements.

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