Skip to main content
Normal View

National Broadband Plan

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 June 2020

Tuesday, 9 June 2020

Questions (508, 515, 517, 518, 520, 524)

Charlie McConalogue

Question:

508. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if high speed broadband will be made available to persons working from home due to Covid-19 restrictions at a location (details supplied) in County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9720/20]

View answer

Robert Troy

Question:

515. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when residents of an area (details supplied) will be able to avail of efibre broadband. [10086/20]

View answer

Aindrias Moynihan

Question:

517. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if high speed broadband can be made available to persons working from home (details supplied) due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10096/20]

View answer

Aindrias Moynihan

Question:

518. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if high speed broadband can be made available to persons working from home (details supplied) due to Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10097/20]

View answer

James Browne

Question:

520. Deputy James Browne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when a person can anticipate the availability of fibre broadband near their home (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10193/20]

View answer

Violet-Anne Wynne

Question:

524. Deputy Violet-Anne Wynne asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if provisions are being put in place for residents of a direct provision centre (details supplied) in County Clare to have access to the internet in their rooms in view of the fact that children of school-going age reside in the centre; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10410/20]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 508, 515, 517, 518, 520 and 524 together.

The Government is committed to delivering high speed broadband to every home, farm, business and school in the country.

The Questions refer to premises which are located in the AMBER area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. The AMBER area represents the area to be served by the network to be deployed under the NBP State led Intervention, the contract for which was signed in November last with National Broadband Ireland (NBI). 

All counties will see premises passed in the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State will have access to high speed broadband within the next four years. The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 150Mbps from the outset. By the end of next year, NBI plans to pass in the region of 115,000 premises, with 70,000 - 100,000 passed each year thereafter until rollout is completed. Further details are available at the NBI website www.nbi.ie

To support remote working and connected communities, approximately 300 Broadband Connections Points (BCPs) were identified by Local Authorities to be connected to high speed broadband this year. This will assist communities to quickly get free public access to high speed broadband in advance of the main NBP deployment. The planned BCP locations, including schools, library hubs, local sports facilities and other public places are available to view on the High Speed Broadband Map on the Department’s website www.broadband.gov.ie. The BCP d elivery project is well underway and surveying of the BCP locations is progressing which will facilitate detailed design and installation. BCP locations are subject to change and a number of the premises initially identified are in the process of being replaced with alternative locations. The remaining BCPs remain on track for delivery by the end of 2020. 

The BCPs in identified public places will leverage the high speed broadband connection through a range of measures and initiatives, for example providing free public Wi-Fi, some will also have hot-desks, and some will be digital hub business centres where digital training, business information events and other SME supports are organised. 

Top
Share