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National Broadband Plan

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 September 2020

Thursday, 17 September 2020

Questions (20, 34, 36, 39)

Joe Flaherty

Question:

20. Deputy Joe Flaherty asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands the status of the roll out of broadband connection points in counties Longford and Westmeath. [16074/20]

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Denis Naughten

Question:

34. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands when the 300 high-speed Internet hubs announced under the National Broadband Plan on 19 November 2019 will be delivered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24192/20]

View answer

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor

Question:

36. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands the status of the roll out of broadband connection points in counties Carlow and Kilkenny. [16079/20]

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Cathal Crowe

Question:

39. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Community and Rural Development and the Islands The status of the roll out of broadband connection points in County Clare. [16083/20]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 20, 34, 36 and 39 together.

The Broadband Connection Points, or BCPs, are a collaborative initiative involving my Department, the Department of Communications, the Local Authorities, National Broadband Ireland, Vodafone Ireland and hundreds of volunteers and site owners across the State.

BCPs will make free on-site connectivity available to communities in remote rural areas that currently do not have access to reliable high-speed broadband services.  They will be situated in publicly accessible buildings such as sports clubs and community centres and will be among the first premises to be connected under the National Broadband Plan. 

Approximately 300 BCPs will be connected across the State, including on many of our off-shore islands. These sites have been identified by Local Authority Broadband Officers and have proceeded with the permission of the site owners and the committees and volunteers that run them.

The location of the BCPs are available on the website of National Broadband Ireland, www.nbi.ie, although it should be noted that sites can be subject to change due to circumstances such as the provision of a commercial high speed broadband connection to an area. 

To date National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company contracted to deliver the National Broadband Plan, has provided initial wireless high-speed broadband connections to 130 sites.

Vodafone Ireland, which was awarded the contract to provide and manage end-user services at these sites, has commenced the installation of its equipment at BCP sites and the first cohort of sites will become fully operational in the coming weeks.

By the end of 2020, approximately 200 BCP sites will be live, with the remaining 100 sites operational in early 2021.

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