Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 April 2023
132. Deputy Rose Conway-Walsh asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the number of connections under the National Broadband Plan in County Mayo; how that compares to revised targets; the sanctions against the contracted company; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19872/23]
View answerThe National Broadband Plan (NBP) state led intervention is being delivered by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) under a contract, signed in November 2019 and which came into effect in January 2020, 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 over 560,000 premises, including almost 100,000 businesses and farms along with some 679 schools.
I am advised by NBI that, as of 14 April 2023 over 147,600 premises can order or pre-order a high-speed broadband connection across 26 counties, with over 135,500 premises passed and available for immediate connection. Over 37,300 premises are connected to the NBP Gigabit network.
NBI has also advised that as of 31 March, 3,879 premises in County Mayo are passed with a high-speed fibre broadband network and available for immediate connection with 1,234 premises connected.
Further details are available on specific areas within County Mayo via nbi.ie/reps. NBI has a dedicated email address, reps@nbi.ie, which can be used by Oireachtas members for specific queries.
Strategic Connection Points (SCPs) 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 14 April 2023, 895 SCP sites (283 Broadband Connection Points, which are publicly accessible sites, and 612 schools) have been installed. As of 31 March, in County Mayo all 16 BCP’s have been installed. Further details can be found at nbi.ie/bcp-map/. 56 schools have been installed to date for educational access. Further details of schools in scope are available on the NBI website at nbi.ie/primary-schools-list/.
In County Mayo Eir has passed almost 35,000 premises with gigabit services. Siro has passed more than 5,000 premises and Virgin Media have passed almost 8,500 premises.
The build programme is currently on track to meet the 185,000 target for January 2024. NBI remains confident that it can complete the network build within the contracted period.
The contract provides that sanction provisions relating to delays to delivery of the network are applicable to any delays that have occurred from 1 February 2022. These sanctions have been calculated and imposed in line with the contract and this will continue throughout the entirety of the programme build.
