Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 September 2021
151. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the progress to date in the programme to provide broadband of a high quality and high speed nationally with particular reference to blackspot-prone rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44348/21]
View answer152. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which the broadband roll-out throughout the country can be expedited with a view to ensure the availability of sufficient connectivity to enable the maximum number of citizens to work from home or from hubs where available; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44349/21]
View answer159. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the extent to which steps can be taken to rapidly improve the roll-out of broadband in towns, villages and rural areas throughout County Kildare, having particular regard to the increased demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44356/21]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 151, 152 and 159 together.
Extensive investment plans are in place by a range of commercial operators with further investment plans recently announced. These plans will see improved high speed broadband access across the country. Of the 2.4 million premises across Ireland, 77% of premises now have access to high-speed broadband of more than 30 Mbps. National Broadband Ireland (NBI), through the Government's State led intervention, will address the remaining premises to ensure no premises is left behind.
According to the most recent Quarterly Report by ComReg, the Quarterly Key Data Report on the Electronic Communications market for the period (1 April to 30 June), Q2 2021, which is available at: www.comreg.ie/media/2021/09/ComReg-2188.pdf, the total number of live broadband subscriptions (mobile and fixed) at the end of June 2021was 1.887m, which represents a 4.2% increase on the number of subscriptions in Q2 of 2020. The majority of the fixed broadband subscriptions in Q2 2021 were equal to or greater than 30Mpbs, with 46% being equal to or greater than 100Mpbs. Of the 1.5m fixed broadband subscriptions which represented a 4.0% increase since Q2 of 2020, 308K were fibre to the premises subscriptions, making up 19.9% of total fixed broadband subscriptions, up from 13.5% in Q2 of 2020.
With respect to the National Broadband Plan, the Covid 19 pandemic has had an impact on the delivery of the fibre network, resulting in delays on delivery of aspects of the programme. Impacts include challenges with mobilisation of key contractors with restrictions on operations and supply chain and logistic delays both nationally and internationally. In addition, there have been challenges with the recruitment of key personnel as National Broadband Ireland (NBI) and its contractors scale up, including challenges associated with on-boarding and training people. Inevitably, like many other organisations, NBI and contractor staffs are at risk of contracting Covid 19 or may have had to restrict their movements as a result of being a close contact.
My Department has worked closely with NBI to put in place a remedial plan under the Contract to address the impacts of the Covid 19 pandemic on the project for 2021. The impact on future years continues to be assessed. NBI is putting in place mitigation measures to address the impact of the pandemic on the programme to date. These include
- Increasing the rate of pole replacement and duct remediation per month
- Bringing in more resources to NBI
- Purchasing more materials earlier
- Bringing in more subcontractors
In line with the Programme for Government, NBI and my Department are also engaged in a review of potential measures that can be taken to accelerate the network rollout in parallel with the measures required to mitigate delays arising as a result of Covid-19. My Department continues to engage with NBI to explore the feasibility of accelerating aspects of the NBP rollout to establish the possibility of bringing forward premises which are currently scheduled in years 6 and 7 of the current plan to an earlier date. However, the primary focus must be on addressing the delays which have arisen and ensuring that the build programme gets back on track and is building momentum month on month.
Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, NBI has made steady progress on delivery of the new high speed fibre broadband network under the National Broadband Plan. I am advised by NBI that as of 3 September over 251,000 premises have been surveyed across all counties. Main Fibre Build works are underway in 25 Deployment Areas covering over 105,000 premises. Surveys are complete or underway in County Kildare in Killashee, Oughterard, Naas Rural, Rathmore, Kill, Kilteel, Carnalway, Gilltown, Ballymore Eustace, Bodenstown, Naas Urban, Newtown, Donaghcumper, Athy, Coneyboro, Aughaboura, Ballinapark, Castlemitchell, Bert, Kilberry, Kilkea, Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth. Network build, as part of the Blessington Deployment Area, has commenced in areas which are close to the Wicklow border.
Further details are available on specific areas within County Kildare 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 as works commence. NBI also has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
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 3 September, 366 BCP sites have been installed by NBI and the high speed broadband service will be switched on in these locations through service provider contracts managed by the Department of Rural and Community Development for publicly accessible sites and the Department of Education for school BCPs. BCP’s are connected at Bigstone Community Hall, Crookstown Further Education and Training and Community Centre, and Lullymore Heritage Park. Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-locations/.
Rathmore National School, Saint David's National School and Piper's Hill Campus have BCPs installed by NBI for educational access. 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 was announced in December which 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 nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
