Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 July 2020
28. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when details of the roll-out under the national broadband plan will be published in order that householders will have an indication based on eircode as to when it is likely the roll-out of broadband will reach them; if it is a condition of the contract that this information be given by a specific date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15666/20]
View answerUnder the NBP Contract, NBI is required to provide a pre-registration facility for members of the public on its website www.nbi.ie to enable them to register their interest in obtaining high speed broadband services so that they can automatically receive updates as and when the new high speed broadband network and associated products becomes available for specified premises.
Given the scale of the NBP it is not possible to publish scheduling details of the roll out over a 7 year period. Inevitably this will be subject to change as the project evolves. In recognition of this and to ensure the most up to date information is available, NBI provide details at individual premises level, utilising a dedicated search function. searchable by eircode, through it’s website. This provides updates to interested parties regarding what stage they are at in the process and offers an option to be kept updated on developments. The most up to date information can then be provided through updates as premises move through the various stages of deployment.
The contract to deliver the NBP State led intervention was signed in November last with NBI. The NBP network will offer those premises a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 150Mbps from the outset. Design work is complete or ongoing in target townlands across 17 counties with over 40,000 premises surveyed to date. 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. 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 Government has committed to seek to accelerate the roll out of the NBP. In this regard, my Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of this rollout to bring forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date. The commitment to seek to accelerate delivery of NBP is reflected in the new Programme for Government, which recognises the NBP as key enabler to many of the policies envisaged particularly around increased levels of remote working and service delivery.
