Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 June 2021
175. Deputy Aindrias Moynihan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when a fibre connection will be available for Coachford Village, County Cork and more specifically a location (details supplied) given that homes in this area are not in the intervention area for National Broadband Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30607/21]
View answerThe premises referred to in the Question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie. BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. 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. Complaints about service provision are a matter to be dealt with between the consumer and the service provider in the first instance. If this avenue has been exhausted without a satisfactory resolution, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) may be able to assist further. ComReg is the independent body that issues licences to broadband service providers and investigates complaints to make sure that companies are delivering services in line with their licence obligations.
Notwithstanding this, my Department has investigated the matter and have established that high speed broadband is available from a service provider operating in Coachford and that the premises referred to in the Question should be able to access speeds of up to 80Mbps through existing network infrastructure.
