Kathleen Funchion
Question:170. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications when a property owner (details supplied) will be able to avail of high-speed broadband. [22696/23]
View answerTuesday, 16 May 2023
Questions (170)
Written answers
The premises referred to in the question is located in the BLUE area on the NBP High-Speed Broadband Map which is available on my Department's website at www.broadband.gov.ie.
BLUE areas are not included in the State intervention area covered by the National Broadband Plan as commercial operators are already providing high-speed broadband or have indicated future plans to do so. My Department defines high-speed broadband as a connection with minimum speeds of 30Mbps download and 6Mbps upload. Under State aid rules, my Department is not permitted to displace commercial investment by intervening in areas where commercial investment exists or is planned, as to do so would be an infringement of these State aid rules.
In December 2022 my Department published Ireland's Digital Connectivity Strategy which supports the ambition outlined in the National Digital Strategy and sets out a number of ambitious targets namely:
- all Irish households and businesses will be covered by a Gigabit network no later than 2028;
- all populated areas will be covered by 5G no later than 2030.
The majority of digital connectivity across the State will be delivered through commercial investment by the telecommunications industry and this will be complemented by the National Broadband Plan.
Officials from my Department have investigated this issue and have been advised that this premises is connected to the Open eir network. OpenEir is a wholesale provider of telecommunications services in Ireland and they provide access to their network infrastructure to retail service providers (RSPs) who then offer those services to customers. The individual referred to in the Question should, therefore, contact a RSP of their choice to check what options are available to them to be connected to high-speed broadband.