Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 12 November 2020
112. Deputy Jackie Cahill asked the Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications when high-speed fibre broadband will be fully available in rural areas such as Moycarkey-Borris, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36029/20]
View answerMoycarkey-Borris, County Tipperary contains premises located in both BLUE and AMBER areas on the National Broadband Plan (NBP) High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie.
Premises in the AMBER area will be provided with high speed broadband through the State led Intervention, the contract for which was signed in November last with National Broadband Ireland (NBI).
The BLUE area represents those areas where commercial providers are either currently delivering or have plans to deliver high speed broadband services The NBP network will offer users a high speed broadband service with a minimum download speed of 500Mbps from the outset. This represents an increase from the 150Mbps committed to under the Contract. The deployment plan forecasts premises passed in all counties within the first 2 years and over 90% of premises in the State having access to high speed broadband within the next four years.
I am advised by NBI that, as of 4 November 2020, almost 122,000 premises across 25 counties have been surveyed which is ahead of the full year survey target of 120,000 that had been projected by the company. This activity involves physically walking the routes and documenting images, notes and measurements of the poles, cables and underground ducts in each area. This is informing design solutions for provision of the fibre network. This detailed design is then used to initiate the ‘make ready’ project with eir for the area, where eir ensure any poles and ducts being reused are fit for purpose. It is also used to initiate works with the subcontractors deploying the actual fibre in the area.
The first fibre to the home connections are expected next month in Carrigaline, Co Cork and they will be subject to technical testing and validation prior to a wider release of the area. I am advised that from the end of January retailers will be able to resell the service and householders in these areas will be able to order high speed broadband provided via the NBI network. In Tipperary, I can advise that surveys have commenced in the areas of Aherloe, Ballinalard, Bansha and surveying has just commenced in the Roscea area and surrounding townlands.
Further details are available on specific areas within Tipperary through the NBI website which provides a facility for any premises within the Intervention Area to register their interest in being provided with deployment updates through its website www.nbi.ie. Individuals who register with this facility will receive regular updates on progress by NBI on delivering the network and specific updates related to their own premises when works are due to commence. Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are a key element of the NBP providing high speed broadband in every county in advance of the roll out of the fibre to the home network. As of 30 October, some 187 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and 59 of these are now connected with high speed publicly accessible broadband, through a service provider contract managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development. Further details can be found at https://nbi.ie/bcp-locations/. BCPs connected in County Tipperary include Moyglass Community Hall, Aglish Community Hall and Killurney Community Centre, with other locations at Drom Community Centre, Killoscully Community Centre and Killea GAA Club due to be connected in the coming months. A number of schools in Co Tipperary including Poulacapple National School and Killeen National School will be connected to high speed broadband, for educational access only, as part of the BCP initiative. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education and Skills to prioritise the remaining schools to be connected over the term of the NBP.
