Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
227. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the way in which an estate (details supplied) can be considered serviced by broadband providers and also require intervention under the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18457/21]
View answerThe High Speed Broadband Map, which is available at www.broadband.gov.ie, shows the areas which will be included in the National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led intervention as well as areas targeted by commercial operators. The map is colour coded and searchable by address and Eircode. · 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.
My Department defines high speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. The activities of commercial operators delivering high speed broadband within BLUE areas are not planned or funded by the State and my Department has no statutory authority to intervene in that regard.
My Department's investigations show that the estate referred to in the Question is served by eir’s Next Generation Access network from the local exchange and also from a nearby Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC). Many of the premises are connected to the local exchange meaning they are unable to get minimum speeds of 30Mbps due to distance and therefore are located in the AMBER area and will be provided with high speed broadband through the State Intervention. A number of premises that are connected to the FTTC are capable of getting high speed broadband and are therefore located in the BLUE area.
In terms of the NBP State led intervention, in County Cork surveys have been completed or are ongoing in the areas of Midelton, Cullen, Templebreedy, Carrigaline, Ballyfoyle, Douglas, Ballyphehane, Glasheen, Mahon, Kilpatrick. Surveys have started Ballydesmond, Kiskeam, Umeraboy, Knocknagree, Rineen, Cullen, Coolinarna, Millstreet, Hollymount and Caherbarnagh. The first fibre to the home connections are successfully connected and in a test and trial phase in Cavan and in Carrigaline, Co Cork. Technical testing and validation will be undertaken prior to a wider release of the areas. I am advised that as of 15 April over 2,000 homes are passed and available for connection in both Counties Cork and Cavan.
Further details are available on specific areas within Cork 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. I am advised that NBI is working to provide more detail on its website, with a rolling update on network build plans.
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 15 April, 302 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly accessible locations and the Department of Education for schools. Ballindangan Community Centre, Aghabullogue Community Centre, Castletownkenneigh Community Centre, Lissavard Community Centre, Whitechurch Community Centre and T.O. Park Labbamollaga have now been connected with high speed publicly accessible broadband.
Clogagh and Ballycroneen National School are planned as part of this initiative. My Department continues to work with the Department of Education to prioritise schools with no high speed broadband, within the Intervention Area, for connection over the term of the NBP. In this regard, an acceleration of this aspect of the National Broadband Plan will see some 679 primary schools connected to high speed broadband by 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframe of 2026. Further details are available on the NBI website at https://nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
