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National Broadband Plan

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 January 2022

Thursday, 27 January 2022

Questions (160)

David Cullinane

Question:

160. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the options available regarding broadband at a location (details supplied); the status of the implementation of the National Broadband Plan; the steps his Department has taken in relation to full capacity fibre-to-the-cabinet broadband; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4109/22]

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Written answers

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) State led Intervention will be delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract to roll out a high speed and future proofed broadband network within the Intervention Area which covers 1.1 million people living and working in the over 554,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along some 679 schools.  

I appreciate people's frustration when they are living close to a fibre network but cannot get a connection to that network, particularly given the heightened importance of connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic. The NBP will ensure that in all such cases a future proofed high speed broadband network will be built to serve these premises and work to deliver on this is underway.  

Despite the unprecedented challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, National Broadband Ireland has made steady progress on delivery of the new high speed fibre broadband network under the National Broadband Plan with almost 294,000 premises surveyed or with survey underway and over 154,000 premises constructed or under construction across all counties. NBI has also advised that premises are connected in 11 counties; Carlow, Cavan, Clare, Cork, Galway, Kerry, Limerick, Louth, Monaghan, Roscommon and Tipperary and over 54,000 premises are available to order and pre-order across 21 counties, as of 21 January. 

There are over 63,000 premises in County Waterford of which some 48,000 are in the commercial area and over 15,000 are within the NBP Intervention Area. I am advised by NBI that, over 11,000 premises in County Waterford have been surveyed to date with over 5,000 premises under construction or constructed and some 300 premises are now available for order or pre-order. Surveying is complete in the Deployment Area of Carrick-On-Suir and main works are ongoing in the Deployment Area of Waterford. In terms of the Ardmore area, while it is served mainly by the commercial sector, some premises in the surrounding townlands are located within the Intervention Area.  Complaints regarding the premises that are being served commercially are a matter to be dealt with between the consumer and the service provider operating in the Ardmore area.

The premises located in the Intervention Area in the vicinity of Ardmore are located within the Youghal Deployment Area which includes the townlands of Ardoginna, Ballynamona and Monea. I am advised by NBI that main build works are currently underway in the Youghal Deployment Area, ensuring that these premises will be delivered with high speed broadband under the NBP. 

Further details are available on specific areas within County Waterford 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 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 21 January, 454 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. BCPs are installed in County Waterford at Knockanore Community Centre, Mount Melleray Community Hall, Ballysaggart Community Centre and Modeligo Community Hall. Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-locations/

Saint Mary's National School, Faithlegg National School, Fenor National School, Whitechurch National School and Ballycurrane National School have been 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 2020 with an ambition to connect some 679 schools to high speed broadband by the end of 2022, well ahead of the original target delivery timeframes across the NBP fibre program. Further details of schools in scope are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/

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