Seán Sherlock
Question:65. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development her engagement on the broadband connection points elements of the National Broadband Plan to date in 2022. [8699/22]
View answerThursday, 17 February 2022
Questions (65)
Written answers
Public Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) are among the first premises for delivery under the National Broadband Plan. They are publicly accessible sites that serve areas without reliable high-speed broadband, including isolated communities in rural areas and on many of our offshore islands. Sites are provided with a high-speed broadband connection which they make available for onsite community use, including for remote work and study.
The Nationwide Public BCP Network will incorporate approximately 300 sites, including 14 offshore islands. To date, 250 Public BCPs have been completed in total, 11 of these on islands.
It is estimated that the current build phase of the Public BCP network will be completed in 2022.
Once this phase of the BCP project has finished, my Department will begin to scale up the numerous development activities that it began trialing in 2021. These pilot projects include supports for remote workers and students, a suite of digital skills training courses, arts and culture activities including musical instruction and access to national cultural resources, and a range of eHealth and telemedicine programmes.
My department is involved in ongoing engagement with local authority Broadband Officers, BCP managers and the multiple programme providers to ensure that the full BCP network will have access to the suite of programmes currently in pilot phase and to other programmes as they emerge.
I shall continue to support participating local authorities in relation to their BCP development activities this year. This is in addition to significant awards made to BCPs for capital works and equipment purchases under the 2021 Connected Hubs Call which allocated almost €9M last year.
The location and status of all Public BCPs, planned and live, may be found at www.myconnectedcommunity.ie