Broadband Infrastructure

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 November 2021

Tuesday, 2 November 2021

Questions (150)

Colm Burke

Question:

150. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the details of the negotiations taking place between National Broadband Ireland and other broadband infrastructure providers in respect of providing additional fibre broadband infrastructure to premises that do not have a fibre broadband connection in place and are located on the boundary between areas covered under the national broadband plan and areas that already have broadband infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52696/21]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications

At a recent hearing of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications Networks, NBI advised the Committee that it is currently engaging with the market in relation to this matter through a procurement process which is ongoing. I am advised that if suitable solutions are identified through this process, they would be provided by third party licensed operators but would be branded and wholesaled as NBI network solutions that are provisioned, activated and assured via NBIs operating system and will be subject to the same contractual service level agreements as the rest of the NBI Network.

I am further advised by NBI that the prequalification process has been completed and a number of service providers have indicated that they are in a position to provide alternative solutions, which meet the contracted requirement. NBI will now move to the next stage of the tender process and will seek to establish a framework contract with providers. NBI expects that appropriate frameworks will be in place by the end of the year with a pilot implementation to be undertaken during Q1, 2022.