Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 21 April 2021
251. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of telecommunication service providers that provided access to zero rate educational websites during the Covid-19 pandemic; if he will provide details of the companies and services provided; if the services are ongoing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19277/21]
View answerI recognise how vital telecommunications services are to citizens for so many aspects of their daily lives, including remote working, studying and staying in touch with family members during the Covid-19 crisis. Providing telecommunication services is a matter for the relevant service providers operating in a fully liberalised market regulated by the Commission for Communication Regulation (ComReg), as independent Regulator. In April 2020, all major telecommunications providers in Ireland committed to a number of measures to help people stay in touch and work from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, with one particular commitment relating to the zero-rating of various educational and health related resource platforms. Since then, a number of operators have implemented further supports for consumers, including students in education, who require a high data usage package, by increasing data limits on many existing packages and introducing new packages with very high or unlimited data offerings. With the increased availability of unlimited data packages, zero-rating of resource platforms is no longer required and the market for mobile packages with very high, or unlimited data offerings, is becoming increasingly competitive, which is a positive development for consumers.
In addition, ComReg recently published an alert on its website to help increase awareness of the unlimited data packages entitled: “Looking for mobile unlimited data plans for remote school or college?”
The efforts to support people’s connectivity were further supported through regulations made under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926 which gave effect to a ComReg proposal enabling additional radio spectrum rights of use to temporarily accommodate increased demand arising from Covid-19 related remote working and studying. Temporary licences were awarded to the three main network operators and under a renewed licensing framework, these temporary licences are valid to 1 July, with an option of a further three months if required.
